The UnForeigner
by austriantatious
Summary: The Role Holders are heartbroken when Alice leaves, as she couldn't stand the fact that they were always trying to get her to stay in Wonderland. Since her departure, they've been trying to move on, but for some reason there's an enigmatic new guest in the world, and she definitely shouldn't be there. Can a foreigner still be a foreigner if they're not a part of the game? [OC]
1. The Unusual Player

Before I begin weaving this tale of… _whatever_, I'll have you know that this particular story is no Bridget Jones. I can already guess this, as I'm tumbling down a seemingly endless hole found in the backyard of a lovely Victorian-styled mansion in England; kudos to my step-father's friend for letting us rent out the place, but it would've been nice if he'd warned us of a ridiculously large hole on the estate. I do hope I don't split my head open and die, but I suppose this is karma. Somewhat. After all, I asked for an adventure, did I not?

Allow me to make myself clear. My step-father was born in England. He moved between Europe and the states, until he was a high schooler and finally settled in the lovely state of Florida. He met my mom, they hooked up, and we became a family. Since I was little, he told me how he would take the entire family on a trip to his hometown in England, and he would show us the 'house' he grew up in (I later learned it was not _his_ house, it was merely his nanny's residence).

Just under a month ago, he proposed an idea to my mom, and suddenly I found myself in little old England, in a quaint little back road village, where the buildings were either tiny and creaky or very, very large. They were still creaky, though. The first few days were strange, but interesting, as he drove us all around town and told us of his memories, like the time he lit a river on fire. Apparently, he was quite the wild child back in his day (aka, the 1970's).

Finally we found his old house, looking abandoned, but I felt welcome, like I was coming across an old friend. I felt I was unnaturally drawn to the old building, but at the time, I couldn't have guessed the reason why. But it was also haunted, or so I told myself. I knew once we arrived, my mission was to seek out a summer adventure, and hopefully find evidence of the paranormal at this new location.  
You see, I'm very into the supernatural and strange. I enjoy hearing stories of strange creatures and odd happenings. You can blame watching too many episodes of Ghost Hunters for my obsession with phantom spirits and malicious, or even friendly, ghosts.

As large as the house was, I was more interested in its landscape. I went exploring the day we arrived and I discovered the glorious, blooming garden out back, as well as a tiny hedge maze. I successfully navigated through the maze only to find a girl about my age passed out in the grass. She had long, gorgeous chocolate-brown hair, a precious bow on her head, and an azure colored Lolita dress, with gold trimmings and a cute white apron-looking thing that was held together by a bow that covered up most of her lower back. Her stockings were blue and white, just rising above her knees, and her shoes were a dull red. Despite her undeniably cute face, something was off about this girl. And, believe me, it wasn't just the fact that she was snoozing on the lawn of a supposed forsaken property.

I finally decided to stop being such a suspicious on-comer and I came to my reality. She lay still on the grass, almost lifeless. Alarmed, I desperately tried to wake the girl from her comatose, but the second my skin came in contact with her hand, her eyes snapped open and I was awestruck.  
They were a brilliant color, some sort of turquoise, but shades of cerulean were apparent. Her eyes were also wide, like a child's, and I couldn't help but stare for a few moments. While in my shocked position, I couldn't hear her trying to talk to me. Right off the bat I recognized her old-timely English accent. _She must be from around here, then._

"Hello," she murmured, looking rather dazed. Her eyes flickered back and forth, observing the maze around us. Obviously, she must be have been entirely confused, but I was more concerned with how she came about the mansion in the first place. "Can you hear me?"

I shook my head fervently and stuttered out, "Who are you, and why are you here?" She slowly stood up and brushed the dirt off of her dress, frowning at me.

"I should be asking the same thing! Where on Earth has Edith run off to now? I swear, was just looking after her children…" Her voice and the way she spoke just really reminded reminded me of Old English. Clearly, I wasn't born in those times, but I've read enough books and seen enough documentaries to place the intonation. She gasped as her gaze swept over her outfit. _What, did she put on the wrong clothes this morning?_ "Oh, no, this can't be right! I have to find Edith, quick, and ask her what happened." I cocked my head, wondering what she was rambling on about.

"Miss? Do you live here? I mean my step-dad said this place wasn't occupied."

"No...? I'm not sure. Just give me a moment," she stated, unsure. "Wait. Who are you, again?"

I made a face and scratched my head, a little lost. "Well, my mom said to never introduce myself to strangers, so..."

She set her hands on her small hips. "Then why are you talking to me? In this case, you're more the stranger than I." I waved my hands in an embarrassed manner, jumping to my own defense.

"But I'm trying to figure out why you're dozing off here. There's a difference. And you're trespassing. For all I know, you could have escaped from some insane asylum." The girl stuck out her bottom lip.

"That's called being a hypocrite. I've never seen you before, so how do I know you yourself aren't a trespasser?"

I throw back my head, giving an exasperated sigh. "Good point. In any case, this is getting nowhere. Please, just tell me your name?"

"Alice. Alice Liddell." She said, still frowning. The name sounded unbelievably familiar, yet nothing in particular came to mind. _I'm getting a very strange Disney-equse vibe from this girl._

"All right. It's nice to meet you," I put out my hand for her to shake, and she tentatively took it. "Now, let's try this again. Do you live here, or are you perhaps a neighbor?" I gestured towards the large estate behind us, just barely visible over the hedges. Her eyes widened, as though she just noticed the manor, but she nodded.

"I... I am a resident of this place..." she answered dreamily. I scratched my chin, still recalling my step-father's earlier statement of how it had been abandoned for years.

"Well, come with me and we'll see what exactly is going on here." I lightly nudged her forward and we walked in silence back to the house. I conjured up theories in my head, only to have them shot down. _She can't be a ghost, because I felt her skin. That kind of sucks. Perhaps she has amnesia? And she never explained why she was sleeping in the garden… all she said was she was babysitting for some girl named Edith. She also said she lived here, but that's not possible. Maybe I should just see how things turn out. God, I hope I didn't just meet a murderer._

Disappointed and perturbed, I took Alice inside and shocked the rest of my family. My brother seemed to be the only one who approved of me bringing in this lost, strange girl, but my parents allowed her to stay inside and ease her nerves. I had yet to explain the situation to them, so they assumed it was a friend I met. We entered the living room and I plopped onto the couch while she chose a love seat. Absentmindedly, I swished the liquid in my cup and looked into the reflection, my face blurred.

"You made me lose my mojo, you know." I said solemnly, still preoccupied with the cup.

"What was that?" She hummed, gingerly holding her own cup.

"I was trying to hunt some ghosts until you came along. I was really into it, too, but I can't just ignore a near-catatonic girl on the lawn for a bunch of spiritual adventures." She furrowed her eyebrows.

"That's not very..." she cleared her throat and turned away from me, unable to finish her sentence. "Um, lovely family you have." I swallowed dryly as my mom hurried past the doorway, phone in hand. She must have been talking to my sister, judging by the look that was forming on her baby face. She was obviously in distress. Finally she ended the call and left, shouting to my step-dad the results of the call. I paid no mind, having gotten used to my sister's antics. Alice twirled her fingers into her dress, isolated in some sort of daydream. I puffed out a cheek, feeling somewhat dejected.

I never was a great conversationalist when it came to speaking with other girls, for some odd reason. Whoever I was bothering often went to someone else to speak with, ultimately replacing me. Not to say I never had friends, but I never got too in depth with them. I didn't mind so much anymore, but I still felt bad. If Alice really was lost and frightened, the very least I could do was try to help her out.

"You must have a really great gene pool in your family, because you're really pretty." _Wow. Smooth._ She shot me a sort of warning glance and I quickly downed my drink, mortified.

"Thank you, I suppose."

"... So, who is Edith? Er, if you don't mind my asking."

"Edith would be my younger sister. We aren't exactly close, but she asks me to babysit her. That's what I was doing before all this occurred." I pointed at her with my empty cup, shaking it.

"It's strange. You don't look old enough to have a niece or nephew." She said nothing in response, nd only looked away again. _How suspicious._

"So do you have a job of some sort?" I inquired, still trying to make small talk. Amused by my attempts, she decided to join the conversation in it's entirety.

"No..." she answered carefully, readjusting herself on the seat. "Why? Do you have one?"

"Nah. But I want to be a lawyer or scientist of some sort. I mean, that'd be pretty rad. I don't really know what to do... I also need to decide what college I'll be attending." I went on rambling about my life so far, and she listened, genuinely interested. It was nice, to be completely honest. Finally, once I'd ran out of energy, she took the time to speak for herself.

While she drank her hot chocolate, she kept sputtering out a strange story, of people in another land where they all loved her, and obsessed over her. Usually I'm a great listener, but at that time I couldn't find the means to stay focused on the conversation at hand. Embarrassed once more, every so often I would nod or hum in agreement and shift around on the couch so she knew I wasn't completely out of it.

"The tower," she mumbled, "is where I stayed when I first arrived. Julius was always too concentrated on his work to spend time with me, but he was a good friend. I wonder how he's faring…? Oh, but this is all wrong! I have to figure out what's going on here. Because the hole is still open..."

I sipped at my own drink, eyeing her cautiously. However, I soon began to feel tired and she droned on and on. I was attentive when she was speaking of her personal life, with her sisters and, what I guessed, detached father. She made no mention of her mother, leaving me curious as to what happened. Afraid I might get too personal, I stayed quiet. However once I got around to asking about her older sibling, she paused and ended the family talk, then moving onto_ again_ her bizarre story of the other world she traveled to.

Despite the incredible stories of the distant world, her voice was soothing, allowing me to nestle into the couch and close my eyes. This time I actually listened to her story, but few details remained in my mind. All I could think about was her name. _Alice Liddell. Where on **Earth**_ _have I heard that name before? It sounds so very familiar._

"… Oh, how I miss Wonderland. Despite all that's happened, I really loved it there. I should have never left." Those last words echoed in my head as I fell asleep.

I woke up hours later, expecting to see Alice still beside me, gazing into the fireplace, yet the whole room was empty. It was also dark, with the dim fire being my only light source. I stretched and saw a small note on the table before me. I snatched it up and struggled to see the cursive in the dark. My vision finally adjusted to the darkness and I read aloud:

"Squirt, I took Alice to the guest bedroom and mom and dad are already asleep. By the time you wake up, _if you ever wake up_, I'll probably be snoozing, too. Don't make too much noise if you decide to go party or something, 'kay? I don't want to be the one who gets in trouble.

Without love, your brother"

I huffed and dropped the note, jogging up the stairs. I inched past Alice's room, fearful of my loud parading throughout the house, and snuck into my room to get changed to go to bed. That's when the real trouble started.

After changing, I looked out my window and saw some ominous, black thing looming in the maze where I'd discovered the unconscious Alice earlier. Excited that it could be the supernatural being I was searching for, I grabbed my homemade drawstring bag and packed it with my odd 'essentials': A camera, my notebook that I recorded findings in, my cell phone, my MP3, and a chocolate bar (I get hungry pretty easily). Sure, it wasn't the most organized of bags, or the most useful, but I felt ill at ease without my items.

Still in my pajamas and slippers, I hurried downstairs and quietly slipped out the front door. I glanced up at my room, and then Alice's, momentarily wondering if I'd seen her lurking at the window. The next moment I shook the thought away and hurried toward my ghost-friend. Rustling behind me stopped my progress for a short amount of time. I promptly dove into a recycling bin, eternally grateful for the fact that it was cleaned and emptied the day before. Peering from under the lid, I saw one of the nearby farmers placing some furniture out on the front porch. _Oh, right! Dad said he wanted to get some more furniture for the house, to make it more cozy_. I internally snorted. _It's not like we'll be here for much longer... _Once the man finished his midnight duties, I crawled out of the recycling bin, almost tripping and scraping my bare knee, and dashed for the backyard.

Once more entering the maze, I saw nothing. No beast hiding behind a corner, and certainly no more people lying in a cataleptic state on the ground. However, I did find a massive hole just behind a large Oak tree, around the site of my meeting with Alice. I rubbed my chin, wondering if it'd been there earlier, and if it had, how I had missed it. The rest of the maze was deserted and lackluster, so I honestly didn't know what was with the huge opening in the ground.

"Christ. Did a monster come by or something?" I went up to inspect the fault, not intending to go diving in it when I was pushed, **_hard_**, into the burrow.  
Which, I guess, brings the story to the present?

-;

My throat hurts from screaming, but I can't seem to stop, and this ticking noise echoing in the hole of doom I'm falling in won't stop either. My sight becomes blurry with tears from the fateful fall and I briefly contemplate my life's choices. _This is no way to die. This is **no way** to die. I should have just gone to sleep-!__  
_

Not yet ready to enter the afterlife, I close my eyes, bite my lips together, and duck my head between my knees, wanting for it all to be over already. My prayers are answered as I hit the ground with a yelp. Almost instantly, and somehow uninjured, I stand up and look about.

The spirit world is not at all like I'd imagined. It's sunny and warm, and it has trees and dirt. And ground, obviously. I look up and see the sky and clouds, gently rolling by. Dazed and confused, I sort of wonder around in circles.

_Did I really just fall? _I swallow the feeling of astonishment slowly coursing through my veins. Theories pop up in my mind and I stagger around, scientifically trying to solve this process of falling through a hole into another land. _It's like digging a hole to China! Well... as far as I know, that's impossible to do, but anything is possible, I suppose._ Finding no apparent explanation, I give up in my search. Warily, I tap my foot on the ground, as if the area I've landed at is so fragile that it will break under pressure, yet nothing seems to happen.

The humidity lowers and I breathe in and out, standing unknowingly in the spot I've stopped at. Due to my shock wearing off, I have no choice but to finally explore and look for some sort of path. I start to wonder how I landed without severely injuring myself._  
_

"All right, so then who turned on the magic?" I ask the still air, expecting a reply. Instead I hear a shrill scream and I jump, running to the nearest tree for cover. Immediately I suspect a fair maiden in trouble, but I brush away my imagination for the time being. Peering out behind the bark, I see nobody on the path before me, but I could still hear faint talking from nearby. At first it didn't occur to me that it might have come from the incredibly tall building just beyond the trees, but as I lumber over the dirt path, I finally see said building._  
_

"Ah!" I shout, slamming a fist onto the palm of my other hand. "Since there's someone living in this tower, I'll just see if they can help me get back to the house!" _Although I should have taken note of the name of the estate, or the city it's in. Hmph. Serves me right for nodding off when my step-father was giving us the 'grand tour' of his neighborhood._

I jog up to the large set of doors leading into the tower, not minding the ominous estate surrounding them, and rub my hands together before I start knocking.  
No answer. I try again, waiting for the people inside to come and greet me, yet there's still no answer. I pout, hearing someone moving about inside.

_ They're literally **right** inside,_ I think, _so I'm not sure if they're ignoring me or my knocking is too soft_. After a few more tries, I become impatient, so I stupidly grab the doorknob and push the doors wide open. (Really, who keeps their doors unlocked? That's just plain unsafe. Then again, who marches up to large buildings and barges in? Oh, wait...)

"Are you deaf? I'm trying to look for some help, here!" I call into the room. In front of me I see a grown man, crawling weakly on his knees. He looks as though he's panting, like he just ran a mile. From upstairs somewhere I hear some more shouting, but this man doesn't reply. Instead he glances up, his eye locking onto my own curious gaze. It's freakishly silent, and I'm too afraid to move, so I stand petrified in the doorway, discreetly inspecting the dude.

He finally stands up and I can see he's much taller than I am. He also looks much calmer now, and yet a mysterious glint shines through his silver eye, as though he could see right through me. His other eye is hidden behind an eye patch for some odd reason, but I'm not sure I want to find out why. His hair is a soft-edged silver, and falls just above his shoulders. His outfit is also really weird; with the frill-things lacing his shirt and the fancy jacket (and the eye patch) he looks like a refined, modern day pirate. Or perhaps a homeless man with taste… I'm honestly not sure which is more accurate.

In any case, the half-hobo glares at me a moment and steps forward, crossing his arms. "Do you always wander into people's homes like that?"

"Not always," I answer in a sarcastically polite manner, stepping back outside. Still curious, however, I keep the doors open to talk. "I'll leave if you want me to."

He came forward again, not giving me a chance to escape, even if I wanted to. "Why don't you introduce yourself first?" I shake my head and wave my hand in disagreement.

"I really shouldn't. I don't know if you heard me just now, but I only came to see if you could give me directions to get back to the mansion I'm staying at? I don't think it should be too far." Things become rather uncomfortable as he leans in and inspects me. His eye narrows, and I can almost feel him digging into my soul, like a demon. "Do you mind?" I ask gruffly, now feeling incredibly self-aware. He makes a humming noise and taps his finger against his lips.

"You're awfully calm for a lost little girl. How did you get here?" I sigh, understanding his ignorance to my own question.

"I walked in through this threshold, you see?" I knock on the frame of the door.

The man sends me a pointed look. "I meant how did you come to this..." He stops and rephrases his question. "Just how did you come to this tower?"

I push past him, but not before closing the door, to enter the mysterious domain. I grab the nearest chair and haul it to the middle of the room. "I'll tell you exactly how I got here, if it'll get you to help me out." I let the words flow from my mouth as I recount my short tale. I leave out (almost) no details in hope that he can help me get back.

"Once upon a time, my step-father decided to bring my family to the town he grew up in. By once upon a time, I mean like a week or so ago. At the house we're renting out for the time being, there's this garden out back: really lovely, very fragrant. I was kind of waddling through it when I found this girl, passed out on the ground by the pavilion. She introduced herself as Alice, and I tried to interrogate her a bit, because the entire property is off limits to anyone other than guests and neighbors." He raises his head a little while I continue on.

"Unfortunately, she never really explained how she got onto the property, or why she was out cold, so I brought her inside for the night. We talked a bit and I learned about her life and family. It was actually pretty interesting. Then she went off on this story of some..." I pause, momentarily forgetting what came after. "Her adventures in..." The man patiently waits out my hesitation, but I never get my point across.

"I don't remember. Anyway, I fell asleep and woke up. Everyone else went to bed, y'know, but when I was about to go to bed I saw something in the maze. I couldn't quite make out what it was, but I went to go investigate. That's when I found this huge breach in the ground near where I found Alice sleeping before. When I went to get a closer look, I was shoved down it and then when I landed, for lack of a better word, I was right outside this tower. So... yeah. Not very helpful, I guess." His expression does not waver once throughout my explanation, but I can tell that underneath his collected guise, he's terribly confused. After finishing, I give him time to say anything. It's silent for a moment or two, but he finally speaks.

"That's certainly interesting. Well then, allow me to explain to you the mess you've got yourself in." I flinch, feeling as though he were angry with me. After all, it's not my fault someone pushed me into a gaping chasm. But I eagerly await his elucidation, hoping he might enlighten me on a few things.

My daydreaming mind begins to wander before he can actually finish the rest of his explanation._ Hopefully he's not a murderer either. I've met enough weird people today-Englishmen, Alice, this guy, that ghostly figure in the garden... Maybe I'm still asleep in the house? What if I got my foot caught in a hole and fell and hit my head? That garden is probably chock-full of traps. Maybe I'm knocked unconscious and this is a dream. If that's the case, that's probably what happened to Alice, too.__ Holes can be so darn dangerous. _My head begins to hurt as I think of Alice again. I rub my temples and groan to myself, almost forgetting the other party's presence.

I then look at the silver-haired man and gulp, seeing that he's waiting for me to stop spacing off. I place my hands on my lap obediently and he nods, ready to offer some explanation.

"This world you've landed in is called Wonderland," I almost choke on my own spit when he utters this first statement. _I'm in another world? Wait..._ _Wonderland. Alice Liddell. Alice... in Wonderland? This is…! _"**_Ahem_**. You, my good lady, are a foreigner. However, it is curious that you weren't pushed here, rather than lured here by that white rabbit. However, I'm afraid I can't tell you much else. We need to get you home as soon as possible…" his voice trails off, and he sounds oddly irate. I nod, not understanding a word he just spoke.

Fiddling my fingers into the hem of my shirt, I return to my train of thought from before. I've landed in _Wonderland. That can't be right. I must be hallucinating. Whatever was in that hot chocolate must've been really powerful stuff. _Demurely, I take a peek at the man again and suspect that he may be telling the truth. _If I can believe in ghosts, I guess it won't do me any harm to believe in a dream.__ I wonder what this dream-Wonderland is like... I kind of want him to tell me more._ He smiles, breaking me from my thoughts.

"Is that so?" I blink a few times at him and try to speak but he cuts me off. "I never did introduce myself, did I? I am Nightmare Gottschalk, the lord of Clover Tower, which you've so gracefully entered." He bows, and his eye twinkles as he looks up at me again. "If you're wondering how I seemed to have read your thoughts a moment ago, it's because _I am_ reading your thoughts. I am an incubus of sorts." I absorb the knowledge before making a funny face.

"Uh…" I breathe, moving back a bit.

"Hmm?"

"Y-you mean you have..." My whimpy self struggles to say the s-word. "_Intercourse_ with people while they sleep?" Nightmare freezes up and turns a bit red in the cheeks._  
_

"N-no, I do not do such things! What I meant was I enter people's dreams, but I don't…"

"R-right. Sorry for assuming things. Anyway, just to go along with this crazy dream, would you mind telling me what Wonderland is like?" Nightmare chuckles and begins where he left off.

"As you wish. Here in Wonderland are territories, such as the Clover Tower, the Hatter Mansion, Heart Castle, and the Amusement Park." He frowns, looking mindful. "Well, there is also the Joker's Circus, but I'd rather you not know about that." I want to object, but I figure he's already doing enough by telling me the basics. "This Tower is neutral territory, as well as the Circus, while the Hatter's Mansion, the Castle, and the Amusement Park are at war with each other." I raise my hand and he lets me interrogate him a bit.

"So they're in a power struggle? Who are the leaders of each area?"

"As I said, I rule over this tower. Julius Monrey, the Clockmaker, and Gray Ringmarc, my assistant, reside here. The mansion consists of Blood Dupre, Elliot March, and the twins, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum."_ Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum? Elliot **March**? This is just like the movie, only more of a parody, and with a different plot. Oh, the ideas my brain comes up with. _

Mr. Incubus must've discarded my thoughts as he went on. "Blood is the leader of the mafia. Elliot is second-in-command and the twins are the gatekeepers. Violent group, they are. Then again, what else would one expect from the mafia?" He chuckles and I smile awkwardly. _Okay, a very different plot. I don't think the mafia was mentioned in the movie._ He stops for a moment, contemplating something. "Where was I?"

"You told me of the mansion's residents. What of the Castle and Amusement Park?"

"Right. At the Heart Castle lives the Queen, Vivaldi. The Prime Minister is Peter White, and the Knight of Hearts is Ace. And to finish off, at the Amusement Park is Ma—er, Gowland. He's the owner. Boris Airay and Pierce Villiers are usually seen lurking around the area. I would say more, but I suspect you'd rather find out yourself?" I nod sheepishly and yawn, almost falling out of my chair from exhaustion. I immediately laugh and apologize. "I just took a nap, but I guess I'm still tired? To dream within a dream. How wonderful."

"Would you like to stay the night then?" Glancing out the window I see it's nighttime, although I could've sworn it was daylight when I entered the tower.

Shaking my head, I drawl on. "Yeah... how about no? This was fun and all, but if I really am awake and sane, I need to get back home. Y'know. To the real world. I've spent enough time dawdling with you, not that you're bad company."

"Really, just stay a night. I'm afraid it'd be much too dangerous for you to travel on your own at this hour."

I deadpan. "Then why don't you just escort me?"

"..."

_Way to go, dream-man. Way to go._ He persuades me a bit more and I finally (read: reluctantly) agree. I mean, what's the harm in staying the night at a mysterious tower in a dream-like 'world' you've just fallen into, where the first person you've met is a self-proclaimed Lord of said tower and also an incubus?

"Good. I suppose I will finish explaining everything to you in the morning. Here, let me show you to your room." He gently pulls me up and grabs hold of my wrist, taking me up a nearby staircase. It's weird and winding, but I'm proud of myself because normally I don't do well with stairs. I start spacing out as he leads me to the room I'll be sleeping in for the night, so when he bids good night and closes the door, I feel paranoia creeping upon me.

_Was this really a good idea?_ "After all, I could just go home… Or in this case, wake up." I sigh and flop onto the bed, not bothering to take off my mini backpack or get under the covers.

As I fall asleep, an endless amount of questions bombard my brain and perplex it. I only wish I could have the answers right away.

"It's best not to think too much, ol' gal," I tell myself. "It's nothing but a dream. Same as all the others you've had before."

-;

( Nightmare's POV )

I drum my fingers against my desk as Gray looks on in amusement. "A penny for your thoughts?" I wonder if I should tell him of the girl sleeping in the guest room, but decide against it. It'll make for an interesting morning. _After all, from what I can tell she's one to make a grand entrance._

"I just don't feel like doing this work," I state lamely. Gray sighs and leaves the room, mumbling to himself about my laziness. As he leaves I lower my head, for once completely bewildered.

"She's a foreigner. She knows—met, Alice. But she came here on her own accord. I suppose something must've drawn her here. And yet…" I press my hand to my forehead.

"She doesn't have the potion."

* * *

**AN:** (Thoughts are in _italics_, in case you didn't catch it.) Hi, I'm austriantatious, and I'm here to butcher the HnKnA series. This is based off the Bad Ending/Truth Ending where Alice finds out she could have gone home at any time. Here, she grows up in the real world and she's taking care of (her sister) Edith's children when something crazy happens. You'll figure out how she got to the future later.

I have not played any of the games so my characterization is heavily influenced by fanfiction and the manga, so if you see some major mistake please don't hesitate to point it out.

This OC's personality is based off of_ many_ people I've met, and the name (which is introduced in chapter 3; changed since chapter 14) is just pulled off a close friend of mine, because it's cute and represents our inside joke.

**EDIT:** Revamped a majority of this first chapter. Enjoy!


	2. Adventure Time!

**AN:** I accidentally put this under Humor/Poetry._  
_Also, I heard in JnKnA that the Clover Tower and Clock Tower like are conjoined or something by a door? If not true, LET'S JUST PRETEND THEY ALL LIVE TOGETHER ANYWAY. 'CAUSE WHY NOT.

* * *

"I just wanted to return home…"

My eyes snap open as a mysterious voice echoes throughout the room and I twist my arms into the soft sheets, but I notice they're now on top of me. Squinting, I also see that my backpack is now sitting on a dresser, just to my right. Free of any disturbances, since Nightmare isn't in my room, I take my time in surveying the place.

The tower itself is rather beautiful, if I do say so myself. Nightmare is probably some interior decorator, aside from being the 'lord' of the place. _I guess that wouldn't make him homeless, then. He obviously made some excellent renovations with the place, so he probably makes a **killing** off the job. Very professional, indeed. _The theme of the tower is obviously Clover-y, as it would fit the tower's name. The main colors seem to be white, gold, and green, and it all mixes together nicely.

My room is pretty sweet looking, too. Good size, _definitely_ bigger than my own room back in America. There looks to be a door to a bathroom and then a door to the hallway. I roll out of bed and notice I now have some weird sort of gown on over my pajamas. I frown, lifting the fabric.

_Did I have this on last night?_ It's white, a little see-through, but kind of pretty. If I don't know any better, it looks more like a dress or a cover-up than a sleeping gown. Then again, I've never worn these things before. I sluggishly stumble into the bathroom and take a long look at myself in the mirror.

My bangs are kind of funky looking, and my eyes are really puffy, but I don't look horrendous. _Thank goodness. I'm surprised I even slept as well as I did. But I wonder why I'm still in this Wonderland place. It's only a dream... I guess dreams last longer than I thought._

I linger in front of the mirror a minute longer and take a _real_ good look at myself. I have medium dark brown hair, almost black, and brown eyes. My skin is sort of brown with a reddish tinge, thanks to my mixed roots. I'm no beauty queen, but I think I'm kind of pretty, in a way. All thanks to my lovely mother, who still looks young even in her upper 40's. What a woman. While looking at my own thoughtful expression in the mirror, I briefly consider what life would be like if I were to look like Alice; _She must receive a lot of confessions. I don't think I'd be able to handle that... yeah, I'm fine being how I am. Dating is kind of weird anyway.  
_

I leave the bathroom and seize my backpack, slinging it over my shoulder. Before leaving the room, I decide to make up the bed, just to appease the incubus I met the night before. After I finish, I leave the room and wander down the hallway, vaguely recalling the way back downstairs. However, once I smell something delicious in the air, my stomach begins to take control of my steps.

I head to the smell, feeling hungrier than a wolf. I suppose I could just eat the candy bar in my bag, but if the way back home is long, I would want to save it. I hop down the steps, licking my lips in anticipation. Finally, upon taking the last step, I recognize the scent; _someone's _making pancakes up in this joint. Again, without thinking, I run into the room where I hear people mingling and possibly eating and shout, "Hey hobo! You got room for one more?!"

My mouth dangles open as three men turn to me, not expecting my abrupt arrival. Nightmare is sitting at a table with two other guys, and they all seem to be enjoying themselves. Conscious of my 'manners', I close my mouth and bow. "Sorry for coming in like that, sirs. I thought only Mr. Gottschalk would be here." I turn to make my departure when Nightmare chuckles and appears behind me, his hand on my shoulder.

"Why don't you come and eat with us? Although I didn't expect you to be up so early." I scratch my head and peek out the window. He has good reason to suspect I'd still be sleeping, seeing as it's still dark outside. I internally blame my early bird mentality and agree to join the three males. I follow Nightmare back to the table and take the only seat available, but I feel awkward with the other two men staring at me like I'm a ghost. Or a dead person. I guess it must be shocking, seeing some random girl burst into the room, asking for pancakes.

"You must be Mr. Monrey and Mr. Ringmarc, yes? Mr. Gottschalk told me about you two last night," I say quietly, looking back and forth between the two. One has short, dark blue hair and striking topaz eyes. As he's sitting on my right, I can catch a glimpse of a lizard tattoo on the left side of his neck. He seems to be wearing a dark gray suit with gold buttons and… sheathes? With daggers? How peculiar.

I shift my gaze to the other man; he has long blue hair, significantly lighter than the lizard man's, and it looks to be tied up into a low ponytail. His blue eyes are currently hidden behind small reading glasses. He has on a long black coat with gold-bronze designs and a gold vest or shirt? It's hard to tell, as he has a newspaper in front of him. However his most prominent feature is the clock on his tie, or the clock_ is_ his tie. Wait a second; does he also have a clock _earring_? _He must be the Clockmaker Nightmare told me about before._

Nightmare's short bout of laughter breaks me away from my thoughts once more, and I give him my best frown. Reading my thoughts again, the little rascal. After all those moments of silence and me checking out the two other men, Clock-man makes an attempt to speak with me. "Yes… I am Julius Monrey." Well, that was short. I quickly determine that someday he'll be the life of the party.

The other man, who I know has to be Gray, speaks as well. "I'm Gray Ringmarc. Nice to meet you, Miss." I nod and stare down at my lap until a woman comes in. She sets a plate of pancakes in front of me and I almost cry in delight. Before digging in, I grin and look up to the woman to give her my thanks.

"Thank you so much, ma'am…!" My voice cracks a bit as I stare into her face. She has no eyes whatsoever. She has a mouth and a nose, and everything else but she has no eyes whatsoever. I lean back, wondering if it's the lighting, but it isn't. The woman nods briskly and hurries away, as if my words frightened her. Or maybe it was my unwelcome staring session. I look at the others and, to my horror, they look completely unaffected by all this.

"Mr. Gottschalk?" He blinks, otherwise unresponsive. "What happened to her eyes? Like... I don't know. Where is it?" He laughs, resting his head on his hand.

"She's a faceless. She has no eyes." I tilt my head, opting to eat the pancakes in front of me. _You talk and I'll eat, because you have a lot to explain._

"That I do. Where did I leave off last night? Ah, yes, I told you the residents of each territory. I suppose I shall explain to you what a Role Holder is. It will tie in with the faceless maid that just scurried off." Julius sighs and excuses himself from the table, wandering off somewhere. For a moment, I wonder if it was something I did, but Nightmare says otherwise. "Are you ready, then?" I nod and stuff some pancakes into my mouth.

I swallow and manage to reply, "I'm all ears."

"I'll make it as simple as I can for you. A Role Holder is someone of importance here in Wonderland. Role Holders are the only ones with faces, besides you, as you are a foreigner. We Role Holders must abide by the rules of the game, no exceptions. The game is, essentially, the reason for our existence. Ironically, it is also the bane of our existence. We are dealt our roles and we all must do our part, whether we want to or not. Although," he turns his head away and swipes a thumb over his chin, "there are certain people who try and rebel. I'm sure you'll encounter those people along your journey," I hold up my hand and cut him off as he pauses.

Laughing dryly, I stab a fluffy piece of pancake and point it towards his face. "What makes you think I'll be sticking around that long?" Gray shifts around in a mildly uncomfortable way and I begin to regret my inconsiderate actions. Nightmare, on the other hand, gives me a solemn look until he's decided that I'm well enough to let him continue his speech.

"Anyway, that maid, as I said, is a faceless. She isn't as important as Gray, Julius, or I."

"That's not very nice to say…" I argue, causing Gray to now switch demeanor and chuckle softly. Afterwards, he mumbles something about me sounding like Alice.

"It is what it is." Nightmare butts in, recovering himself to give me a sidelong glance. I wriggle in my chair and remain silent. "Anything else you'd like to know?"

"Yeah. Am I dreaming, or am I dead?" Caught off guard by my question, both men share an amused expression.

"That, I cannot say. You'll have to find out for yourself."

"Oh. I was sort of leaning towards the former, but whatever. If you don't want to tell me, I guess I will have to stick around long enough to find out. That's just grand," I sigh, standing up. Swiftly, I yank off the nightgown and fold it, setting in on the table. I grab my empty plate and tie the straps of my bag around my arm. "I guess that's all, for now." I set off for the kitchen, remembering which door the maid came through earlier.

Still a little miffed by Nightmare's earlier statement in regards to the 'faceless', I hardly notice the maid approaching me until we're about to collide into each other.

"Hey! Watch where you're... O-oh. I'm sorry, milady." She sighs, curtsying. I pout, tapping the bottom of the plate against my bare leg._  
_

"What's your name?" I ask suddenly. She stands up again and I stare into her faceless face. I could almost imagine a pair of blue eyes, like they're hidden beneath a layer of skin. Maybe they could be green? I'm sure any color would match that pretty blond hair of hers. It is curly and long, falling past her waist. She's petite, too, with her clover-themed dress hugging her skin. She tilts her head in a vexed manner.

"Pardon?"

"I asked for your name, please."

"Oh… Victoria. My name is Victoria. Wh-why do you ask?" She questions back extremely hesitantly, and her falsely-sweet voice fades into something more natural sounding.

"I was just curious." I laugh, "Was I not supposed to?"

"Not really. I'm sure Master Nightmare has already informed you of my role—or rather, lack thereof. You really shouldn't be wasting your time with someone like me." I snort and grab her hand, causing her to turn a lovely shade of scarlet. _I'll show Nightmare. Hah! It's time for an adventure!_

The maiden protests as I drag her away, back to the front door. While passing by Gray and Nightmare, I can see they look as horrified by my actions as she is, though I pay them no mind once we're outside.

To my pleasure, the outside world is brighter and shows the light of day. "Let's take a nice stroll, hmm?" With my new-found friend in tow, I head off. _If Nightmare won't tell me if I'm alive or not, I suppose I'll just have to go in search of danger to find out for myself. After all, in all my other dreams, whenever I was about to be killed or maimed, I always woke up. The same thing should happen here, right? Though I must admit, this has been a very vivid delusion._

"This is absolute suicide! Let me go so I can go back to my duties and beg Master Nightmare for forgiveness!" Victoria pleads, tugging at her wrist in my hand. Unfortunately for her, I've got it in a super tight hold.

"What do you mean? Are you his slave?" I pause and use my free hand to snap. "Are you one of _those_ kinds of maids? My brother has mentioned them before, but I never thought I'd meet one—" I was cut off by Victoria's shoe being thrown in my general direction. I duck as it whizzes past my head, and I whistle. "Nice aim. Now get your shoe back on and let's get going! We have much to see, young grasshopper."

Completely defiant for a few minutes, Victoria manages to dig her heels into the ground, where I can't drag her along, but finally she retrieves her shoe and trudges alongside me. "Where are we going, anyway?"

I shrug and flash her a grin. "Wherever this path goes to!" Evidently upset with my answer, she huffs and turns her head away, glaring at the trees. I feel like I know where I'm going, for some reason, but I've never been here. Undecided on the road to take, I devise a plan to see an aerial view of the surrounding territories. I stop and let go of Victoria slowly, afraid she might run off. She huffs once more, but manages a small smile.

"Don't worry," she says, "I'm not going anywhere. For now, anyway." I tell her to wait a moment while I begin to climb up a tree. "You really are the craziest foreigner I've ever met!" Victoria shouts as I ascend the tree. I finally really the top and sigh dreamily, gazing at the gorgeous landscape.

The tower is not too far behind us, and now I can finally see where the other territories lie. In front of me, atop an enormous mountain-something or other is a truly magnificent castle; The Castle of Hearts, where Queen Vivaldi, Peter White, and Ace the Knight of Hearts are. There's a large maze before it, which causes me to emit a laugh. _If I ever wind up at that maze, I hope I find no more unconscious people, and I certainly hope I don't fall into another hole._

I turn on the little branch I'm standing on and look to the opposite side of the castle. In the distance I see a manor, surrounded by trees and some lovely fountains. _Of course this must be the Hatter's Mansion. Hard to believe there'd be a mafia in Wonderland, but they can't be that bad. I mean, whoever is a Mafioso and is named **Blood Dupre** must be a wimp. Poor child._

I turn again, seeing a very bizarre looking forest and what looks to be a festival. _The Joker's Circus, huh? Looks like fun. I wonder why Nightmare wouldn't talk about it more. _Finally I make my last turn and see the unbelievably colorful Amusement Park. I could almost hear the excited shrieks of people as they ride rollercoasters. _Ooh, I would love some cotton candy right now. I guess we'll go there first._

"Are you done yet?" I almost fall out of the tree at Victoria's beckoning. "I have chores, you know!"

"I'm coming down," I announce as I carefully make my way back to the ground. Victoria is now tapping her foot petulantly on the dirt, her arms crossed against her chest. It would appear she's very different outside of her work place. "I know where we're gonna go!"

We set off for the Amusement Park, which, thankfully, isn't far away. We pass by the tower again, but this time my faceless friend doesn't look so eager to bolt inside its large doors. I laugh, and she sends a inquisitive glance my way. "What is it now?" She huffs at me.

"I figured you might rush inside and beg for mercy."

"No. I mean I will later, but I have to make sure you get to the park safely. You are a foreigner, after all, and you don't really know your way around." I let her words sink in and we walk in silence, admiring the cool breeze rushing around us. It's not too hot out, but even in my loose shirt and pajama shorts, the air feels a little humid. I can only imagine the level of unease Victoria must be going through, in her heavy looking dress.

At last I hear yelling and laughing just down the road, and my nose goes wild from all the delectable food just waiting for me inside the park. I rush forward, letting the maid take her time, and arrive at the gates, suddenly crestfallen. Victoria catches up and sassily sets a hand on her hip. "You really didn't think this through, did you?"

"Even in my own imagination, huh? Rough. I totally forgot it costs money to go places," I admit bashfully. "It looks like we'll have to head back, then." I whirl around and come face to face with a bunch of pink fuzzies. I yelp and hop backwards, wiping my face. Someone, a boy, laughs and I blink a few times to see clearly.

A young man, with seriously pink hair and the absolute strangest outfit I've ever seen (even weirder than Nightmare's frills and Gray's sheathes!) stands before me. He has a black vest on, that holds many useless zippers, as well as a pink collar, linking to a golden chain that seems to appear everywhere on his clothes. He has on what looks like a skort—yes, a skort, and gloves with more chains and zippers that are making my head reel. But the best part is he has on cat ears, a cat-like tail, and a large pink striped boa with medals or badges around it. He seems to like decorating his skin with tattoos and piercings. From what I can see, he's very into punk fashion. The only normal thing I can see is his eyes, which are almost the same color as Gray's. Of course, my mind is trying to remember where I've seen this much pink and magenta before… _Ah. That's right._

"The Cheshire Cat." I say aloud, which causes the boy to gawk at me in astonishment.

"Well, sure, that's who I am, but how about you call me Boris? Boris Airay," he jabs his thumb to his chest and grins. "So who're you?"

"A foreigner." Victoria drawls, inspecting her nails. Boris beams and leans down, sniffing me.

"No doubt about it. You smell different. It's sort of nice, like Alice!" I twitch. "About time you came! I can already tell things are about to get crazy around here. So what brings you to the Amusement Park?"

"I really want some cotton candy," I state bluntly, rubbing my stomach. Apparently the pancakes were not enough. The cat's tail swishes around in excitement as he takes my arm in one hand and Victoria's in the other. She looks angry with his actions, but I don't mind much. "Wait, Mr. Airay, I don't have any money!" He stops and twitches his ear.

"Not a problem! I'll get you guys in without a hitch. Also, you can call me Boris, like I said earlier. Mr. Airay makes me feel old…" he makes a face and leads us into the park. I space out again, but I can hear Victoria almost yelling at Boris for making her her along. I also hear him laughing at her whining, and for some reason it makes me happy. _Nightmare said faceless are unimportant, but she seems pretty normal to me. That darn incubus. I bet he just wanted to mess with me._

Coming back to reality, I notice an older man wandering the almost-fluorescent colored park. He has his reddish-brown hair tied in a neat braid, and glasses over his green eyes. Just like the Amusement Park's style, his clothes are wildly flamboyant. He has on brown pants and a white shirt, but his jacket is outrageous. It's yellow with blue trimmings, with some music notes appearing on his sleeves and on the front of the jacket. I look down to his belt and see a bunch of horses on it. It's kind of cute, but the yellow jacket is really throwing me off. I just can't dig it (probably because I seldom wear yellow myself). I peer at his face again from behind Boris and realize he must be a Role Holder.

_Let's see… Nightmare says at the Amusement Park is Boris, some guy named Pierce Villiers, and Gowland. Gowland is supposedly the owner, and this man is wearing the uniform of the park… so he must be the owner! Gee, I'm smart. _Not patient enough to let Boris introduce me to the owner, I slip out of his grasp and stroll up to the older man myself. I offer my hand and greet him, "Hello there."

He looks down at me, swinging a violin in his arm. "Hello? Who might you be, little lady?" He narrows his eyes and adds, "You have a face… a new Role Holder?"

"No, sir, I'm an outsider. Er—foreigner. Whichever you prefer." He sniffles a bit and his lips quiver into a faint smile. He then pulls me closer and ruffles my hair. I groan a little, but feel warmed by the fatherly gesture.

"Sorry. You're just so tiny and full of life! I can tell by your eyes. Besides, it's been a while since we've had any foreigners! Our last one left rather… quickly," he coughs but continues to smile down at me, "and I wasn't expecting another so soon! My name is Gowland. I am the owner of this glorious park!" I giggle at his enthusiasm, but I'm still lingering on his previous words. Knowing exactly who he's talking about, or having an idea, I get ready to ask him about Alice and her departure, or what happened to her when Victoria storms up to us. Boris follows after, seeming unfazed.

"Don't run off like that, crazy!" She tosses Boris to me and I barely catch him. He's sort of light, for a teenager. He grins sheepishly at me, standing up. "Can we please leave now?" Victoria inquires with a harsh tone detected in her voice.

"But you guys haven't ridden any rides yet. You also didn't get any cotton candy." Boris points out, his cat-like gaze still on me. He then turns to the blonde maid. "Hey… why are you here, anyway? You're supposed to be at the tower, aren't you?" If she had eyes, she would be rolling them right about now.

"Let me do my job, cat. I'm escorting little miss runaway here. She also kidnapped me from the tower, but I suppose that's irrelevant." I laugh and rub the back of my head as she throws a nice glare my way.

"How about we all go get some food then, since you came all this way? We have much to discuss, my dear!" Gowland proposes, pushing me forward. I trip a bit but begin walking towards a vendor, something else catching my eye. Another tail and another pair of animal ears, but they're not cat ears. _It looks like a bear-person…?_ The person in question leans his head back, sighing, and notices us coming his way. He squeals and starts to run away as Boris growls.

"You rat…" he hisses, balling his hands into fists. Within seconds, he's chasing after the other person and I watch as they duke it out. Well, sort of; the 'rat' is struggling to release himself from Boris's grip on his tail while Boris bears a smug smile on his face. He licks his lips and brings the person's tail closer and closer to his mouth…

"Dude, stop!" I order, running to them. I bop Boris on the nose and he recoils, his ears twitching in anger.

"Wh-what was that for?"

"You're trying to eat this poor man!" I steal a glance towards the bear-rat-man and pout, noticing his large green eyes, shining with tears. His hair is a little abnormal, as it's sort of red and orange with gold highlights. It also looks like what my sister would call an 'emo haircut', since his bangs are hanging over his entire right eye. Then again, Boris had the same style only on the left eye, so I can't really single this guy out. He has on a cute little black hat with some badges. His jacket is a sort of emerald green, but his shirt is long and light yellow, with red trimmings. He also has on black pants and boots. Honestly, I'm more amused by his ears than I am concerned with his sense of fashion. I finally understand the fight between him and Boris.

"A mouse, huh? That's kind of precious, actually. Mice are kind of cute, I think." Boris crosses him arms, refusing to believe the fact that I just complimented the little mouse boy, but I speak again before he can say anything. "Anyway, you can't eat him. He's a Role Holder, like you!"

"Eh? You know about us Role Holders then? You catch on quickly." Boris leers at the mouse and licks his lips. "I can still eat him if I want. He's just a stupid rat." I sigh and help the man up.

"Stop acting all tough, Boris. You're scaring him!"

Mouse boy stares at his fingers in anxiety before speaking, "Th-thank you, Miss! I'm Pierce. Pierce Villiers." He starts shaking, and there are tears welling in his green eyes again. "Please keep this mean cat away from me!" He grabs me and shoves me in front of him, like I'm a human shield. I jiggle around awkwardly due to his constant trembling, and before I know it, the others are trying to contain their laughter.

"Boris! Is that annoying mouse with you?" I hear two unfamiliar voices shouting from our left. Gowland tenses, his eye twitching like a madman while Boris calls back, and it sounds like his rampage against Pierce has ended momentarily.

"Yeah! I've also got a surprise for you!" He grabs my wrist and attempts to yank me away from Pierce, and although the mouse manages to keep his grip, Boris still shakes me back and forth. By now I just feel like a rag-doll. "You're not going to believe it!"

Behind me Victoria groans, and I bite my lip as a group of four more males approach us. Noticing the group consists of a man in a large hat, a man with rabbit ears, and two twins, I already know what territory they're from. At this point I can't help but blurt out.

"Who invited the mafia?"

* * *

**AN: **Save for my own OC, I'm going to add in two more characters, 'cept they're going to be faceless. One is Five (the card soldier Alice saved in the manga from Peter's wrath and whatnot) and the maid from Clover Tower, Victoria. They're not going to play super huge parts, but they will have a certain role in this story.


	3. Six is a Freak Show

With my arm being strewn about in the air by Boris and my waist being dominated by Pierce, I probably look like a puppet of some sort. The four men stop before Gowland, Victoria, Pierce, Boris, and I and give us all a judgmental stare. I cock my head and try to figure out my next move. They look serious, like they want to do business. Serious business. Seriously.

The man in the hat twirls his cane in his right hand and looks me up and down, his sea green eyes looking cold. Before he can say anything, though, the twins step forward and lean in, curious expressions clear on their faces. "Who's the lady?" they ask in unison. I think the question is directed at Boris. He makes me wave my hand and grins.

"A foreigner!" The twins turn to me with their big, cute eyes, and I feel glad they're different colors. Otherwise it'd be overwhelming. The one on the right has red eyes, and his uniform has light and dark red stripes. It find it to be absolutely adorable. He looks like a little officer! Although officers generally don't have hearts, clovers, spades, and diamonds on their pockets. His twin brother, to the left, is more blue-oriented, probably to match his little blue eyes. I hum, noting that even though they're twins, the only similarity I can see between the two is their hair and voices, and their ability to mimic each other's movements. _They don't look very dangerous, despite them being in the mafia. After all, they're just kids! I think. _I step forward and challenge myself to a guessing game.

"Tweedle… Dum?" I guess, furrowing my brow. He blinks, casting a glance at his brother.

"No, he's Dum!"

"So you're Dee..." I deadpan, resting my hand on my hip. I look up again to see the man with the large hat still staring at me with some form of hatred in his eyes. _I shouldn't be so surprised. He's in the mafia, after all. Perhaps I should move back... _"Erm..." I utter, stepping back to Gowland. He seems really angry too, because he's trembling, but he manages to plaster a fake smile onto his face.

"I see you brought your subordinates here. What, you're too afraid to face me on your own?" The man beside me quavers with each spoken word. I eagerly bite at my bottom lip, watching the scene before me unfolding. I feel Victoria grabbing onto the back of my shirt, as if she's ready to sprint away the second things get bad, with me right behind her. Boris lashes his tail around, not really feigning interest in what's going on while Pierce is trying to make sure the cat doesn't eat him again.

The man in the hat smirks. "Don't get so cocky, _Mary_. I could take you on any day. I see you've also brought your… crew," he sneers while regarding us, "As well as a faceless maid and a foreigner. You must really need _all _the help you can get, _Mary_." Now I'm utterly bewildered.

_Who's Mary, and what's with this guy's attitude?_ _He must have gotten out of the wrong side of bed this morning. It'd explain the silly hat; he wants to cover up his hair because it's all sorts of messed up. _Gowland's temper also heightens as he speaks afterwards.

"Watch your mouth, and don't drag them into it," he presses, stepping in front of Victoria and I. I gawk at him, feeling a little grateful that he's concerned for my well being. Slowly, I nudge Boris and whisper as softly as I can.

"Who's Mary?" Boris stifles a laugh.

"It's the old man's first name. Mary Gowland." I smile, but in reality it's not that shocking to me. After all, my step-dad's brother was named Mary. Boris continues, "The old man loathes Blood for telling everyone in Wonderland about it, so Blood usually calls him Mary just to annoy him." Suddenly, this whole scenario makes sense.

I clap a hand over my mouth, but it's too late, because I'm already breaking into a fit of laughter. Gowland and the man with the hat stop spitting insults at each other and, in turn, everyone looks at me like I'm a diseased cow. Almost in tears, I point at the guy with the harsh sea foam green/blue eyes and awful attitude.

"You're Blood Dupre, the Mad Hatter?" I say between rows of giggles. My lips shake as I try to keep my grin from his supercilious stare. In response, he backs away from my pointed finger.

"I am." He mutters carefully, and I snort.

"Oh, man. I should have guessed that from the start, but I thought rabbit-boy back there was the leader. At least he looks somewhat threatening," I toss my head towards the rabbit's direction. _I guess that leaves him to being Elliot March, the March Hare._ He flushes, out of anger or embarrassment, and takes a half-step forward.

"Do not speak ill of the boss like that! Also, I am not a ra—" Blood swings his cane up and hushes Elliot with it, looking at the ground. In the next moment, he rears his head up and smiles. Gowland growls and raises his arm in front of me, like a signal to cease my line of insults.

"Don't get any ideas, Blood. This girl isn't supposed to be here, but I'm not going to let you kill her." I whip my head around, feeling like the center of the universe with everyone staring. Even some of the customers seemed to have noticed the situation. While we were talking, some workers have come up and surrounded us, looking ready to fight.

I think back to my objective before arriving at the park and interrupt once more. "This will sound incredibly awkward, but Mr. Gowland, he can harm me if he wants!" I remark, ducking under his arm to bring myself closer to Blood. Pierce squeaks, grabbing my hand to pull me back.

"What are you saying?" Boris demands, his ears lying flat against his head.

"It's just a dream," I shrug, "You know how when you're sleeping and having a nightmare, you usually wake up before something bad happens? It's the same thing here! Albeit in my usual dreams, I don't discover another world full of half-animal people, 'Role Holders' and whatnot." I stroke my chin before turning back to Blood. "Anway, as Pat Benatar would say, 'hit me with your best shot!'" After my challenging statement, Boris and the twins exchange glances before laughing hysterically, Pierce grabs his tail and twists it around a bit, and Victoria slaps her forehead.

"Hmph. Neither me, nor my subordinates, have any intentions of killing this young lady." Blood says coolly. I don't know if I believe him or not, but I don't speak again. Suddenly the March Hare's dark demeanor fades and he passes a smile at me. It is strange, but welcome.

Dum, I guess, marches up to me and hugs my side. "I like her, she's funny! Can we keep her, Boss?" Dee nods and rams into my other side, snuggling into it. _What am I, a toy?_

"Yeah, she's like Alice, only different. Let's take her with us to the mansion!" Elliot rolls his eyes and tries to pry the kids off of me.

"Let go, you idiots! We came here to negotiate, not hug people." Finally he pulls them away and they yell at him for being a pervert, or something. I rub at my now sore hip.

"Thanks Elliot. I like hugs and all, but they've got a strong grip!" The hare scratches at his reddened cheek childishly.

"You know my name?"

"Mhm! Nightmare told me about you guys before I came here, so I just took a guess at your names. Er…" I give Blood a small smile after he just spared my dream-life, though I really did want him to injure me so I could wake up and get back to my vacation in England. "I'm sorry for being rude earlier, Mr. Dupre. It was wrong of me. I haven't been thinking much of the consequences of my actions, lately." The savior comes forward and rests a hand lightly on my shoulder. He doesn't look as angry as he did earlier, for some reason. Still, out of the corner of my eye I see Gowland isn't happy with the turn of events.

"No need to apologize. I wasn't expecting to see another foreigner so soon," he justifies, and at this point I feel he's telling the truth. _Gowland even said I wasn't supposed to be here. I still wonder what that means._

"Hey lady," Dee pipes up, "how did you know Boss is the Hatter?" I laugh and wave my hand.

"I know about all of you! Sort of. It's just like the movie, _Alice in Wonderland_!" I exclaim while everyone freezes. Oblivious to the aura of unease filling the air, I try to clarify myself.

"I haven't really read the stories, but the movie has the characters in it. So there's the Cheshire Cat, who's like Alice's guide for some things, although he's can actual cat and he's always so elusive and confusing in his words. There's also the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, and the Dormouse, whom Alice meets at the Mad Hatter's tea party. Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, she meets somewhere in the forest and they tell her the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter. Hmm… the Queen of Hearts appears near the end. She's the bad guy, because she likes beheading people for silly reasons, and she tries to kill Alice. The Caterpillar… I don't remember much of him. He's kind of a snob. There's a lizard and a mock turtle somewhere in the movie, I think, as well as other random characters."

I run a hand through my hair. "I'm forgetting someone important… oh, yeah! The white rabbit, who leads Alice to Wonderland. She chases him all throughout the land. He works for the Queen…" I stop and realize nobody else is following me, although they look really stunned by my lame re-telling of the movie. After a few moments of nothing but silence, Blood makes the next move.

"Very interesting, indeed…" He tightens the hold on my shoulder and looks towards Gowland. "I'll be taking the young lady with me for some tea. I'm sure you won't mind." Pierce looks like he wants to protest, but he's too scared, and the park owner emits a gloomy aura.

"Why would I let _you _take her?"

"I didn't even get cotton candy," I chip in. Now the twins decide to help out their boss with some very convincing offers.

"We'll give you lots of sweets at our place. Come on!" Elliot remains quiet, and Victoria walks off to the tower as though she's given up on humanity.

Blood doesn't reply to Gowland and instead walks away, as well, his loyal subjects close behind. With the twins pushing me forward, I guess I'll be joining them after all.

-;

( Gowland's POV )

Blood completely ignores me and stalks off, while his subordinates grab the foreigner and bring her with. The mangy cat tags along, acting as if nothing happened. I hope my glare can reach the back of Blood's head from here.

"Ah… boss? Are you all right?" I whirl around and flash my employees a smile, sticking up my thumb.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" They all shift around, avoiding contacts with my eyes. Not waiting for an answer, I tell them, "Well, I'll be around. Get back to work!" The crowd dissipates and I wait a moment before growling under my breath. I just know something's up with that outsider, with her talk of some 'movie' called Alice in Wonderland and whatnot. _She knows something about Alice._

I clench my teeth, remembering the day Alice left Wonderland. She was enraged, yelling at us for lying to her all this time. I couldn't blame her, but her words stung like a wasp. I'd never seen her so irate before. But even as she was going on a rampage, making accusations left and right, I could see she was devastated and lost. Did she really want to leave? Her voice said yes, but her eyes… well, they said otherwise. I can't forget that look.

_And now with this new girl, like nobody I've ever met before, coming from nowhere..._ I meant what I said earlier, about her not belonging here. The Role Holders agreed to not lure in another foreigner after Alice left, for we all feared the same thing might happen, or worse; they'd be nothing like our sweet Alice. For an infinite amount of reasons, we agreed to not let someone else take Alice's place. So who in their right mind brought this inane woman here?

_I'm going to get to the bottom of this._ Hopefully Blood doesn't kill her at the tea party. I need answers. Wonderland needs answers.

-;

( Normal POV )

The walk to the Hatter's mansion seems pretty nice so far. A few comments here and there, but not much talking. I'm not surprised—Blood doesn't seem the talkative type, and Elliot is too dependent on his Boss to say much at the moment. I am, however, startled to see Boris walking casually alongside us. "What are you doing? I thought you're with the park. You're supposed to be fighting these guys, right?"

He gives me a half-smile. "The twins are my friends. Besides, the old man is probably yelling up a storm back there. I don't feel like being reprimanded today." He hums a tune, but speaks again later. "Although he must not be in as bad a mood today. Usually he would've whipped out his gun at the sight of Blood, but he held back. He also didn't play his violin. Not that I'm upset about it. He's so awful, I want to shoot myself sometimes." Everyone but me buzzes in agreement, and I feel like I'm missing out on something, so I go back to the topic of weapons.

"Why would he whip out a gun?" I scoff. Elliot glances back at us, apparently listening in to the conversation.

"Everyone's got a gun here." He pulls one out and regards it like a piece of treasure. Boris nods and when I look back at him, he has a gun pulled out as well. _What are these people, magicians? This world gets stranger and stranger by the second._

"I feel like I should be questioning my sanity in this dream. I'm pretty sure you need a gun license to own a gun, and I didn't think they gave those out to _just anyone_. Secondly, and I've been meaning to say this since I arrived, but you all wear some strange clothes. Like I get that guys like to dress-up, too, but a shirt and tie is really all you need. You are all going overboard. And Boris, you're a cat. Just… that's all I really need to say. Thirdly, what's with all the guys? I feel like girls are almost nonexistent in this world. It's unnerving."

While I ramble on and on, the scenery gradually changes as we come to the mansion. I'm surprised to learn that the others are paying attention to what I'm saying, or they just don't have much to say. I shut up once we arrive at a grand pair of gates and a large wall. I poke the twins. "I was told you guys are the gatekeepers, yet you're with us. What gives?"

They smirk up at me, not saying anything as we continue to follow Blood to God knows where. "It's not like they do their job anyway." Elliot jeers from up front. We continue inside and there's little buildings scattered about the residence. Down a little path to our right is the lawn, I'm guessing. There's two pavilions set out on little ponds, and some other small structures. We keep heading down the main path until I see the mansion in all its beauty.

"That's a lot of windows." I utter, feeling dumb for not having much else to say. Boris nudges me and states how it's even better inside, and he's totally right. The second I enter the hall I gasp, astonished. I can't even begin to explain the place, it's so grand.

Blood chuckles and comments, "Looks like the little lady is pleased." Elliot smiles, a bit of pink tingeing his cheeks.

"You'll love the tea party, then!"

"I've never had tea before, though… Ah, when is the tea party, anyway?" I question, looking at the twins for answers.

"It'll be later. For now, Boss suggests you get some rest!"

"Yeah, you look tired!" I rub at my eye, knowing they're right. I haven't been awake for long, but it must be the jet lag. Falling down a hole and meeting a bunch of strange men (and a faceless maid) really takes a lot out of you, even if it is just a fantasy._  
_

"Where will I be sleeping, then?" The twins grin, plotting something in their little evil minds.

"With us, of course. It'll be fun; we can show you our weapons, play for a bit, and then we'll take a nap together!" I can't see the harm in the idea, but immediately after they suggest this Elliot glares at them over his shoulder and suggests they shut up. Blood then interrupts their quarrel by telling me I can sleep in a guest room until the tea party.

"What will you be doing?" I feel like a cop interrogating someone by asking all these questions, but I can't help myself.

"Work," Blood answers simply. Within moments I'm alone in my room. I guess Boris and the twins are off playing somewhere, despite Elliot ordering them to go to work. I toss my backpack to the ground and lay down on the bed, sighing. I place myself under the covers and snuggle into the pillow until I fall asleep.

-;

In my sleep, I hear a voice calling out to me, like before. I call back, but to no avail. The voice fades away and I'm left alone in darkness. There's nothing in front of me, and there's nothing behind me. I am completely alone. That is, until I hear footsteps.

"Who's there?" I try again, but no response. I'm beginning to wonder what's going on. I just fell asleep, yet it feels like I've been in this empty realm for an eternity. I feel someone touch my back and I jump, spinning around. It's…

"Alice." I breathe. She smiles sadly, clasping her hands behind her back.

"How are you enjoying Wonderland?" I stay silent. "I know you still think I'm crazy, and I know you think this is all a dream, but it's real. Take it from me. You heard my story, didn't you? Sure, you were half-asleep listening to it, but I know somewhere in the back of your mind linger my words." I still keep my mouth closed, unsure of what to say._ If she's telling the truth, how is she here? Is this a figment of my imagination?_

"I wish I could be there with you," she whispers hoarsely, sounding broken. I rush forward and hug her, overcome by a strange emotion.

"Just come. I'm pretty sure there's still the giant, gaping hole in the backyard." Alice just whimpers in my arms. I can't explain it, but I feel attached to her all of a sudden. Like a long lost sister; I feel like I need her here with me in Wonderland.

"When you wake up, you'll probably_ still_ think this is all a dream, but just know that you need to be careful. Wonderland… is not all roses."

The darkness shatters and I open my eyes, unable to comprehend my rush of emotions. I sit up, not feeling at all drowsy, which is unusual, and slip on my bag. _She's right—I still think this is all a dream, but at least I can remember her words for the future._

-;

Wordlessly, I look out the window and see the night sky has settled in. I slip out the door in search of my party, only to run into Elliot. "Oh! I was just coming to get you. Come along, then." I follow him back outside, where I see a truly spectacular sight. The lamps have been turned on, and the fountains look beautiful with the clear blue water trickling down the stone. Maids are setting up a cute table in the middle of it all. It's more of a feast than a tea party, but I have no complaints.

"Hey, Mr. Dupre?"

"Hmm?"

"Are tea parties supposed to be held at night?"

"I simply hold them at night. Is this a problem for you, Miss?" I shake my head and allow him to escort me to a chair, right next to his. As the wind blows, I give an involuntary shiver. I mean, it is a little chilly but that's because it's in the dead of night and I'm wearing shorts and a tee-shirt. Unfortunately, it's brought to Blood's attention and offers to get me a jacket.

"No, thank you."

Dee eases his head into the palm of his hand. "Why don't we get you changed into a dress, then? It'd be warm, and you would look nice!" I laugh sarcastically, telling them that I didn't bring a spare dress.

"Boss'll let you borrow one! He has lots! Alice used to wear them a lot." I keep silent about my encounter with her in my sleep. Boris, who joined us in our get-together, suddenly speaks up.

"Oh yeah, speaking of Alice, what was with that whacky story you were telling earlier?" I give them the summary of the Disney movie, and their interest in the subject piques once more.

"That's sort of strange… maybe this 'movie' you're talking about has a different Alice." Elliot mumbles through his mouthful of carrot cake. I shake my head.

"I don't know. Things are confusing, right now. All I know is that the story is based off a real life girl, although I don't know if her real name was Alice Liddell or not…" I laugh, looking at my lap. "I met this girl, before coming to Wonderland. She claimed to be Alice Liddell. She was spurting out this absurd story, although I didn't listen much. She's really pretty, though…" Well that was random of me to say. Nonetheless I trail off, watching as Blood gets his first cup of tea.

"Oh? What does she look like?"

"Like an angel. She has long, light brown hair and she wears this cute dress. It's blue, and she wears and apron over it. She has a bow on the top of her head to match the dress, too. Her stockings are blue and white, her shoes are red. It's like looking at a model. But the most striking part about her is her eyes…" I sigh, smiling at the memory. "They're a sort greenish-blue, like the deep ocean. You'll get lost in them."

The party goes mute. I can't see Blood's expression, as he's looking down. Elliot has his fork halfway in the air, like he was about to take a bite when I finished talking. The twins and Boris were regarding me with shell-shocked faces. _Oh, gosh, what did I say now. Was that too lesbian-ish?_

"That sounds…" Dum starts.

"Just like our Alice," Dee finishes. "Where is she?" A maid serves me my tea and I lift it up, smelling the liquid. I give them a dull look, like the answer was obvious.

"At my place, of course." _Well not my place, but it doesn't really matter. They'll never find out._

"So she's all right," Elliot murmurs, deep in thought. I finally get a chance to see him, face-to-face. He has orange hair, like a carrot, and matching rabbit ears. His eyes are a pretty purple color. I can't see his lower half but I saw his full figure earlier and I know he's wearing a long black jacket and boots. He has on a plum colored scarf and several straps, going across his chest. He's a pretty tall guy, even without the ears. Like a gentle giant. Blood, on the other hand, has black hair, a black Mad Hatter-themed hat, and black shoes. His, erm, fancy little bow is black as well. His coat, however, is white and the tail reaches his ankles. The suit symbols on the twins' uniforms appear again as buttons on Blood's suit.

"Did Alice say anything about us?" Boris looks at me hopefully, pulling me out of my second staring session. I frown and explain that we might not be talking about the same Alice, regardless of looks. He slinks back in his chair and I feel guilty. I close my eyes and try to remember the story Alice told me in the living room.

'_The tower,' she mumbled, 'is where I stayed.'_

I definitely recall that. But what else did she say? I began to fall asleep after she talked about Julius. Julius Monrey…

'_Boris tried to get me to fire his gun. It was quite heavy.'_

I squeeze my eyes shut, delving into my memories. It wasn't even that long ago that she told me all this, but I seem to be having trouble recalling the conversation.

'_Dee and Dum…' she giggled, putting a hand to her cheek. 'On my first day there, they tried to kill me! But once I got to know them, I realized they're sweethearts.'_

Suddenly the words start coming to my head.

'_Gray took me to an art gallery once. The animals came alive!'_

'_Nightmare… I remember when it was Spring, I thought his health would improve. As it turns out, he has __**allergies**__.'_

My head reels as the story comes back to me. Alice told me of these little events that occurred between her and some of the Role Holders; it was always something different. Like how Vivaldi invited her to a secret room within the castle and showed her a collection of plush toys and stuffed animals, or how Blood almost got sick when Elliot had a carrot party. All these little stories of her time in Wonderland.

I open my eyes and see that Elliot looks worried. "What's wrong?"

"I think I remember… but it can't be true." I rest my elbows on the table, against etiquette my step-father taught me, and finally take a sip of my tea.

"What can't be true?" Boris prods, his tail swishing back and forth.

"I thought this was all a dream, but I can remember Alice telling me things that happened in Wonderland. Now I get the feeling she wasn't lying." I don't know what to make of this new information. If this isn't a dream, how do I get back home?

"Don't look so troubled. Why don't you enjoy your time here?" Blood says simply, having virtually ignored my whole revelation, still not looking at me. I decide he's right, and initiate another, happier, conversation. While I observe the others speaking and mingling, I notice something adorable.

Whenever someone says something funny, both Elliot and Boris jerk their ears around, like they're happy. "Hey," I cut their laughter short, "are those real?" I look up at Elliot's floppy bunny ears and he touches them in anxiety.

"Yeah, they're real. Why do you ask?"

"I thought you might be dressing up. Like cosplay." He looks puzzled, but doesn't comment. I quickly ask if I can touch them. He turns red and looks at his plate, worrying his lip.

"I-I guess…" I get up and walk around the table, and slowly ease the tips of my fingers into his fluffy ears. It feels like heaven, or those super fluffy pillow pets.I lean around to see Elliot's reaction. He has a blissful mien, like I'm giving him a massage. Under the table I hear him tapping his foot in pleasure. _Does this mean I can nickname him Thumper?_

"You've got really soft rabbit ears!" I squeal, still toying with them. His foot stops moving and his face falls. I pause and back away while Dee snickers in the background.

"I'm not a rabbit…" Elliot mutters darkly, not looking at me.

I deadpan, "Yes you are. Well, technically, you're a hare. Y'know, the March Hare." He stands up and gives and anguished cry.

"I'm not a rabbit! How could you think that?" While Elliot whines, Dum joins his brother in the laughing. Blood doesn't look so amused, but he also doesn't seem to mind the outburst.

"What do you mean, 'how?'" I retort. "Your ears prove it! And you've been eating carrots this whole time; I've seen you scarfing them down from across the table. How are you not a hare-rabbit-bunny?"

Frustrated, he makes wild gesticulations. "I'm not eating carrots, I'm eating carrot _dishes_. I **_hate_** carrots. Rabbits like carrots, so I'm not a rabbit!"

I gawk at him. "You've got to be kidding. If you hated carrots, you'd hate carrot dishes, too!" We start arguing back and forth with the other four Role Holders watching with glee (save for Blood). I choose to drag them in so I'm not alone in my logic. "Is he or is he not a rabbit?"

Dee smirks, "He is a rabbit!"

"A stupid rabbit, at that." Dum grins, looking innocent. Elliot fumes and goes off on a tirade about how they don't do their jobs and such. I continue a short argument with the species-confused hare before sitting back down, a little more exhausted than normal. Boris smiles and addresses me.

"Sorry that you didn't get your cotton candy earlier."

"It's cool. I'll snag some later. Besides, this is kind of fun. Although I suppose I should stop them before they throttle each other…" We look back at Elliot, Dee, and Dum, and they look ready to rumble. I guess I shouldn't have instigated the fight in the first place. Boris and I jump in and calm them down. Elliot tries to start again until I shove a forkful of carrot cake into his mouth. He squeaks in surprise, but then returns to his happy place as he savors the carroty goodness.

"Thanks…!" His ears go up like an alarm. "Wait a second; we don't even know your name! You never introduced yourself."

"Huh… you're right! Well, I'm Reese. I guess my parents wanted to name me after Reese Witherspoon when she was just making her debut. Anyway, it's nice to meet you all." I bow my head and the others (again, save for Mr. Dupre) respond politely. I begin feel really welcome here. We all go back to talking like civilized human beings, but I swear I hear Blood chuckling and saying something to himself.

"Just like Alice."

* * *

**AN:** Will people ever stop comparing **_Reese_** (yes, I went with that name hurr) to Alice? Probably not. So I saw that the world map between Heart and Clover are different.

Props to DCreed for literally breaking my heart this morning! That was certainly fun. Check out New Girl, Old Story by DCreed (it's in the HnKnA section, so you can't miss it) if you don't know what I'm talking about. Stay tuned for the next chapter, where we get to meet Peter, Vivaldi, Ace, and Five! Also FYI, Nightmare is like the only one aware of the fact that Reese doesn't have a vial, but the others are slowly catching on.

EDIT: Fixed some ten million spelling errors. Also, as of Chapter 14, her name is now Reese.


	4. Losing Our Head

**AN:** Sorry for updating so much. I'm just in a writing mood, and Summer is about to end for me. Plus I'm really excited for this story, because I've got tons of ideas in store.

* * *

"You haven't even eaten anything, Reese." I shrug at the cat's complaint and stare at a piece of carrot cake, just waiting for Elliot to say something. He eyes the same piece and looks at me almost pleadingly.

"Well, I'm not going to eat it. You take a stab at it, ace."

Elliot starts to give off an aura of satisfaction and abhorrence, as though my gesture gratified him, but my words did not. "How dare you compare me to that knight?"

I blink and think back to Nightmare's speech. "Oh, I didn't mean to call you Ace. It's a nickname, don't you know?"

Dum folds his elbows on the table and gives me a deadpanned look. "You talk really weird."

"Maybe it's her accent?"

Elliot cups his chin, "She does have a different skin tone from us, too..." I sip at my drink and lock eyes with one of the twins.

"I suppose I'm the super-foreigner, then? I was a foreigner to the place I met Alice at, too." Dee grins and nudges his brother ever so lightly.

"She has experience, then!"

"Sweet! An experienced foreigner!" They both turn to me and give a double thumbs up, "Beat the game, lady Reese!"

I wink in return and reach for my drink again when I accidentally bump my forearm into one of Elliot's cakes. The slice topples over and squashes my wrist. I coil back in surprise and inspect the minimal damage. "Aw... I'm sorry, Elliot."

His ears flop down in sadness, but he forgives me. Blood immediately calls for a maid to escort me to a bathroom inside the mansion. I nod and excuse myself from the table. The girl and I walk quietly through the grand halls and I take a moment to examine her uniform. It mirrors Blood's suave suit; the dress is white with red hearts, blue spades, green clovers, and yellow diamonds trimming the exterior. Her tiny top hat, though extremely cute, has a rose pinned to it, like the boss' own hat.

"Um... I like the roses in your hair. They're really pretty."

She bows her head a bit, "Thank you. It's part of our costume. Mr. Dupre loves his roses." I make a useless mental note of the exchange and enter the bathroom to wash off my hands. Once finished, I quickly rejoin the maid and she walks me back to the tea party. However shocking, once we get outside I see that the sky has changed and daylight has already made its mark on the land.

"Was I inside for that long...?" Boris laughs and pats my shoulder. Then we walk together out of the garden, upon Blood's insistence (AKA his order). _'The tea party only lasts the duration of the night' he said. How odd. But now where will I go?_

I know it'd be asking too much of Blood to let me stay at his place again. Unfortunately for me, Boris says he has to go back to the park before Gowland flips his lid.

"Leaving me to my own devices, huh?" I laugh and shove him in the direction of the Amusement Park, while going down a random path on by myself. Elliot and the twins wave us off until we're out of their line of sight.

I fold my hands behind my head and watch the clouds float on by. "Where haven't I been? Well I haven't seen all of the Tower or Park, but I can visit those later. I need to go to the Castle… oh, and the Circus! Man, I really need to get a move on." I stop and see a large tree nearby. I immediately begin to climb it, knowing I can't remember the layout of the world from memory. Reaching the top, I see the castle down the path I'm already going on. Hallelujah!

I climb down and start walking the path, walking to the beat of a random song. It's incredibly quiet. I'm not really used to it, since I've been doing nothing but talking to people since I fell into this wonder world, but the silence is most definitely longed-for. _I just know something is going to ruin it._

"You're right!" I yelp and fall to the ground. Without a moment of hesitation, I push myself back up and position myself to fight whoever it was that disturbed my peace. However, I see Alice giggling.

"Wh-what are you doing here? Did you go down the hole like I said?" I ask incredulously, reaching forward. She gestures for me to lower my hand, and I recognize her sudden transparency.

"Right now I'm just your imagination running rampant, in a way, but in the real world I'm asleep. I've been trying to reach you, and I guess the only way we can talk is if one of us is dreaming." I caress my dirty cheek with my index finger. "It was rather difficult. I was waiting in that dark realm for forever, until I heard your voice. I appeared at the tea party, just as it was ending, but I hid myself in the bushes for fear that the others might see me."

"Why don't you want them to see you? They've been talking about you nonstop!" She turns away with a blush forming on her cheeks.

"I have my reasons. I'd rather you not pry into my problems until I'm ready to share them with you." I back away, resenting my intrusiveness.

"Yes, ma'am. So," I look down the road, then back at her. "Can you escort me to the Heart Castle? It's a little far away…" Alice comes closer and begins to walk. After a moment of watching her walk away, I run after her and survey the pleasant atmosphere. "What's the Queen like?"

Alice continues to look ahead of her. "She's really nice, once you get to know her. I mean, she likes cute things, she has tea parties, she enjoys the sunset. She's like a normal person, if you look past the whole 'off with your head' part." I grimace.

"You mean she likes to behead people, too? I thought that was only in the movie…" Alice pouts and shakes her head fervently.

"No, Vivaldi is very fond of taking people's heads off. I'm not sure why, but if you get on her good side and really spend some time with her, you can influence the trials she holds against people. I've done it a few times myself; saved about thirty faceless during my stay." I praise her, giving her a clap on the back.

"Impressive! The faceless must've been very fond of you, then." She laughs airily.

"I suppose… Well, there is this one card soldier at the castle. I call him Five," she glances at me, then back to the path, "I saved him from being killed by Peter. It took him a while, but after we kept bumping into each other he finally started to get the nerve to talk to me more. It was rather endearing. He still says I shouldn't have put myself in harm's way by helping him out, but I bet he's inwardly grateful. People here don't value their lives, so it's really difficult to get them to see how important and unique they can all be."

"Huh? What do you mean, they don't value life?"

"You'll learn soon enough." Recognizing a sore topic, I quickly change it.

"I see. So is Five still around?" I shove my hands into my short's pockets; a sign that I'm feeling _completely_ relaxed.

"Yeah, he is." She smiles, "If there's one reason I tolerate Peter it's that he doesn't hurt those I show concern for. He hasn't pulled a gun on Five since that day, although he still threatens him. Still, it's the only good quality he's got," she says grimly. Her smile turns to a deep frown, and she starts to glare at nothing but the air in front of her.

"Er, I can see you're not very fond of this Peter White fellow. Did he do something wrong?"

"Yes!" She bursts, shaking her head again. "He kidnapped me and dragged me to this world in the first place, and then he kissed me and forced me to take part in the Game, which is absolute nonsense! And he would always suffocate me in hugs and say how much he loves me. That man drives me insane!" Her shouting drives away birds that were resting in the trees, and I send them a silent prayer. _That's right, birds. Fly away while you still can, and just leave me for dead._

I opt for rubbing Alice's shoulders as we walk on, and she eases up a bit. "If I encounter him at all, I'll be sure to give him a good smack on the nose, all right? Ah, but first, what does he look like?"

"Oh you can't miss him. He's got snow white hair, bunny ears, red eyes and glasses. He also has on a red coat and a huge clock is always slung over his chest." I make mental notes and reassure her revenge. At the last minute she quickly adds, "But don't be too harsh, okay? I-I mean he's annoying, but he can be tolerable at times." I just stare at her, wondering how far her feelings actually went for the rabbit in question._  
_

"Anybody else I should know about? Nightmare mentioned a Knight of Hearts."

"Oh, right. That's Ace. Actually, I'm surprised we haven't run into him already…" She scours the area for any sign of the man, but finds nothing. "He might have gotten lost on the way to see Julius. It happens all the time."

I tease, "He's directionally challenged, huh? I guess I'll have to buy him a GPA, then." Alice throws me an odd expression but laughs seconds later.

"Well, it looks like we're almost—" Our chat is cut short by a tall man bumbling out of the trees. He falls down and groans slightly. I almost have a heart attack and, in my panic, I drop to the forest floor and hyperventilate, clutching at my shirt as if it were my heart.

"Good lord!" I cry out, catching my breath. The man raises himself up and looks down at me in delight.

"Alice? I thought I heard your voice!" I draw myself up moments later, pushing the hair away from my eyes. The man with his gleaming red eyes inspects me closer. "You're not Alice." _Congratulations, Sherlock._ I turn to find Alice has gone missing, or perhaps she was never really there, like she said. _Oh great. I really **was** talking to myself!_

"So, who are you?"

I brush off the grim and dirt and bow my head mockingly. "Reese, the new foreigner, at your service." The Knight doesn't seem to understand my sarcasm as he bows back.

"Cool! But I thought Sir Peter wasn't allowed to bring anymore outsiders to Wonderland?"

"He probably isn't, and he didn't. I came here by accident."

"I see," he leans in, only inches away from my face. How awkward. "I always thought it was unusual to encounter more than one foreigner in a lifetime, but I guess I was wrong! So where're you headed?"

"To the Castle. You?" He grins and informs me that he's heading to the same place. I can't help but wonder why in Hershey's name came from the bushes?

"Come on, I know a shortcut!" He takes my arm by the elbow and starts heading in the direction I came from. I stumble along with him, trying to stop the absurd man.

"Oi, knight—er, Sir Ace? You're going the wrong way! Turn around!" He looks down at me, baffled.

"No, I'm sure this is the right way."

"Well it's not. I looked, and I know I came down this path. You're just mental," I pull away and grab him by his coat sleeve. He's sort of heavy but he's like a puppy; if you're right by him, and possibly hauling him against his will, he will follow.

"Hmm. I never told you my name. How did you know it?"

"I've heard rumors about you, Sir Ace." Mainly from Alice, but he doesn't need to know that. We stop in front of the hedge maze. "Is this the only way to get to the Castle?"

"I told you I knew a shortcut, but you insisted we go this way!" Ace explains cheerily, not looking fazed by our predicament. Meanwhile, I'm asking myself why I had to find him, of all people. _Why couldn't I run into someone who knew their way around, and didn't have a phony grin on their face every second?_ I run into the maze, trusting my gut in order to make it through. However, I hear movement from every side and corner. Somehow, it makes me nervous.

"Sir Ace!" We freeze and slowly turn around to see faceless soldiers waiting for us. Ace looks bored, waiting for them to continue. "Your presence has been requested by the Queen. Please, come with us." Instantaneously, I let him go and give him a push.

"What, you're not coming with?"

"Her Majesty the Queen asked for you, not me."

"Well, okay. I'll see you later!" I manage a smile as he walks away with the guards. By the time I realize I should've tagged along, it's too late. I wasn't even paying attention to which path they took. _Oh my gosh, I am so dull…_ I think, rubbing my temples. _Guess I'll have to go about this alone._

"Maybe I'll cling to the right side?" I advise myself, pressing my hand against the hedges. As I move, my hand runs smoothly over the plants. I can only hope the time doesn't change on me as I'm making my way through this maze. Suddenly a song pops into my head.

I glance around, slightly embarrassed to sing, but I begin quietly and go from there.

"Makin' my way downtown, walking fast, faces pass and I'm homebound," I sing to myself. Hey, it's not like anyone can hear me, right? Even if they could, I'm sure the citizens of Wonderland aren't familiar with Vanessa Carlton.

I mumble some of the words, keeping the beat in my head, until my favorite part comes up. I halt and look up to the sky, now belting out loud, "_If I could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by? Oh, 'cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just see you..._" I pause again for dramatic effect. "**_Tonight!_**"

Skipping along, and still clinging to the right side, I start to sing louder with nearly every jump. I see I'm finally passing by maids and more soldiers, but I'm not too worried about getting lost. If they're nearby, I must be getting closer.

At last, I sprint up the mountain-like thing I'd been prancing on and see the gorgeous castle in front of me. I wonder if Ace's smile s contagious, because I begin to feel my own bright smile playing on my lips. To add to my delight this, I grab a nearby soldier and yank him away from whatever he's doing, so he can join me in my song and dance.

He yelps and cries out in despair as we skip up to the doors. It appears the other faceless are too startled by my singing to actually do their job and see who exactly is trying to get into the Castle. The song comes to an end as I call out the last few words, actually sounding like I'm singing.

"Oh, oh, if I could fall into the sky, do you think time would pass me by? 'Cause you know I'd walk a thousand miles if I could just see you... if I could just hold you… **_tonight_**!" I twirl the soldier around and bow, pretending to kiss his hand. He looks entirely pale, though I really can't blame him.

"What in the world is that sound?!" I hear someone shout. Seconds later, a tall man with a blood red eyes and super white hair storms up to the soldier and I, then stops upon seeing me. "Soldier… who is this girl that you have found?"

I turn to the soldier and let him go. As I look into his eyeless face, I feel an echo of recognition. "So you're Five?" He looks at me hesitantly, but nods, and then he turns his attention to the male.

"I-I'm not sure, Sir Peter. She came from nowhere…" I laugh and compliment myself for my good work.

"Wait… Sir Peter? You're Peter White, then!" My smile is replaced by a frown and I stomp up to the man, finally seeing his bunny ears. They were cute, but I would not let myself be distracted. Without notice, I raise my hand and flick him on the nose. He stumbles back, looking outraged.

"What are you—"

"You're a bad man for doing all those things to Alice!" His eyes widen upon the mention of Alice and he pulls me closer. His bad mood vanished within an instant, and now he looked desperate.

"You know of my love? Quickly, reveal the whereabouts of my previous dove!" I make a face and lean back.

"She's not in Wonderland you nut. She just told me about you when I met her. In _my _world. I'm a foreigner." Peter stares down at me, still clutching my hands in his. He pulls away and wipes his hands on his suit, like I'm contaminated with a virus. He looks like he wants to say something, but can't come out with it. Finally, he orders me to follow him (not that I have a choice) and we hustle through the castle. He gives me no time to admire the place as we head to an empty hallway. Once there, the rabbit lets go and crosses his arms.

"So you know Alice... explain, or I'll show you the true meaning of pain." I scrunch my nose. _Is he rhyming on purpose? _Nonetheless, I give him the information he wants, telling him of Alice's sudden appearance in my world. I also include my adventures in Wonderland thus far, but I leave out the fact that I can still maintain contact with Alice through my dreams. He doesn't believe every word I say, but I can tell his reluctance to hurt me at this point in time.

He sighs, "You're definitely _not_ my Alice, but I suppose she'll be mad at me if I injured you." He spins around and stalks off, expecting me to follow him. "Come now, your meeting with the Queen is long overdue."

I run after him, pressing my lips together to form a thin line. As workers of the castle roam about, doing their chores, I self consciously finger the hem of my shirt. I definitely feel dowdy in my clothes, but it can't be helped.

I keep my head down, trying to not draw attention to myself. I figure keeping a submissive posture might be best here, since I'm about to meet royalty. The Queen doesn't sound too temperamental, but I want to be on my best behavior._ Just act like you're meeting the Queen of England! ... In pajamas, no shoes, with your hair a little messed up. Yeah, that's cool._ Peter and I enter a room with large double doors, intricate in their design.

I lift my head and smile up at her Majesty, gloriously perched upon her throne before us, on a platform above. Her head is resting upon her palm, with a scepter dangling from the other hand. Her legs are crossed, like she's been sitting there, bored, for a while now. Her dress is large and poofy, but very lovely as it has heart-shaped patterns and pleats and what have you. Of course, it's dyed a ruby red, almost romantic, with some purple hues and black accents. Her hair is a dark plum color and it's curled into large ringlets, kind of like drill locks.

"What are you doing here?" She asks Peter, but he jabs at my side.

"It appears another foreigner has come to Wonderland," he scowls. I cringe but quickly wave it off. I assume he's a moody man, from his behavior thus far. Alice said he was always doting on her, so he can't be this mean all the time. I automatically step forward and curtsy as best I can.

"Your Majesty," I address the beautiful woman on the throne, "I'm Reese. I'm sorry for entering your domain without your permission, but I've heard a lot about you, and I thought I might come by and introduce myself." I stand tall and meet her fierce gaze until her eyes soften.

"It's been so long since we've had an outsider come visit. We are Vivaldi, the Queen of Hearts." _Oh boy, someone who speaks in the Majestic Plural!_ I smile shyly as she beckons Peter and I forward, so we don't have to shout from across the room. Once we're on the same level as her, I take my position in front of the Queen. While Vivaldi looks me up and down, I hold my tongue and wait for her to speak again.

"A tad rough around the edges," she comments, forcing me to spin around by prodding me with her scepter. Peter tenses beside me. "And yet we are pleased. After all, she's very cute looking." I tuck a strand of hair behind my ears and give the lady my thanks before Peter butts in.

"She says she's met Alice in her world." Vivaldi's expression doesn't change but her tone certainly does.

"Alice? You must tell us how she's faring. In fact, we'll discuss it over tea. Come." I hastily follow after the Queen, with Peter right behind me. I feel almost like a prisoner. Actually, that's probably not far off. I may be a little dumb at times, but even I can tell the only reason I'm still here is because they want to talk more about Alice. It's awkward, and somewhat degrading, but I feel like they just really miss her. Besides, Alice never said I couldn't tell them of her well being. But it does upset me, just a little bit. _Every time they speak of Alice, or say I'm like her, I wonder why she left. Obviously the Role Holders care for her; why wouldn't she try to keep in contact with them? Unless she can't, once she's left Wonderland... Very curious._

It takes me a while to understand that Vivaldi is leading me to a guest room. I speak up anyway, "Where exactly are we going?"

"To get you changed. You must be very uncomfortable in those clothes. You may borrow one of our dresses for the time being."

"Oh, no, Your Majesty! I can—"

"We insist." That's pretty much the end of that discussion. I stroll into a quaint room and see a open closet, full of beautiful gowns, costumes, and casual dresses._ I see the Queen has high standards. _"We'll let you get changed. Once you are finished, we'll have a maid escort you to the tea party."

"Of course. Thank you again." She closes the door and I rush forward, searching for something relatively normal looking. However, much to my horror, the dresses are definitely too small on me. At last, I discover a nice amethyst pigmented dress with little to no frills or decorations. As I slip it on, the fabric gets caught around my thighs. I stop, balancing expertly on one foot, and glare at myself in the mirror. _Pshaw! Maybe if I lost a few pounds, this'd be fantastic. These Wonderland girls must be seriously petite!_

"You've got to be kidding me." I deadpan, yanking the dress upwards. I hear a slight rip and immediately drop the outfit, stuffing it back into the closet. Finally I see in the back of the closet a dark gray woman's suit. I take it out and eye it, grinning. _I wonder if the Queen wears this at all..._ I glance around, feeling almost guilty for even touching the clothing, but I set aside my inhibitions and pull on the suit. Thankfully, unlike the dresses, it fits and I fix up my hair in the mirror, slipping into black flats nearby. "Not too shabby, girl!" I tell myself, making funny poses. I open the door and see the soldier from earlier waiting by the wall.

"Hello again, sir."

"Pardon?"

"We met earlier, remember? I was dancing with you all over the courtyard."

"Oh, yes. I definitely remember, I just didn't think you'd remember _me_."

I shrug. "Yeah. The whole 'faceless' thing, right? I get it. However, I know it's you because of your hair, the shape of your face, and your uniform. It have the number five on it, see?" I poke at the number. He glances down and mumbles. "Alice told me she calls you Five. May I do the same?"

He blushes, smiling, "You know Miss Alice?"

"Indeed I do."

"I see. I do not mind you calling me Five, though you might not want to be so cooperative with me around Sir Peter. He might shoot us both!" I cover my mouth to muffle my laughter as we move along a small path outside. I might've had a tea party last night, but it's literally the perfect weather for another. The backdrop is quite fitting, too, as it's now sunset. Five states the Queen enjoys gazing at the sunset, so she usually holds tea parties at this time.

"Will it just be us?" I inquire casually, as we reach the table. The Queen is already seated, her attention turned towards the sky. Peter stands by her, looking downright bored. As Five and I make our entrance, his ears perk up a little, but he's still not _too_ excited. A moment later a group of workers approach the table and reveal Ace to be following them.

"Hey there!" He greets me, pushing past the men to come to my side.

"'Sup, Ace?" I laugh. "Got lost again?"

"I was trying to go see Julius when they told me to come here. Hmm, you look nice. So, you've been acquainted with the Queen? You must be really popular, then!" I motion for him to stop talking.

"Not at all. I just know who all I have to see here before I return home." I thank the woman serving my tea and gingerly sip at it. In my peripheral vision I see a **_certain_** brunette weaving through the bushes again. _That sneaky little—_

"You must remind us of your name, foreigner." I snap my head up, eyeing Vivaldi.

"Oh, yes. I'm Reese. Like the peanut butter and chocolate cups."

"Nice to meet you, Reese!" Ace declares, settling his hand on my shoulder. Honestly, these people are too touchy-feely. Peter finally decides he's done with the small talk.

"What else do you know about Alice?" With everyone focusing on me, I close my eyes and take another sip of my tea. _Should I sugar coat it, or should I be extremely blunt? I don't want to be rude to the Queen, but there's really no delightful way to say what Alice has done since leaving. Still, it's best they know the truth, or whatever of it I'm aware of._

I set the cup down and remark in a strangled tone, as though I'm being possessed by a cruel, hypnotic nature, "All I know is that Alice is back in England, happily residing with me and my family until we travel back to America. She has told me good things about all of you, but I can assure you she's rather content in staying in the real world. At least, for now." Peter pushes his glasses up the bridge of his nose, taking in this information. Ace continues smiling, but for once he's smart enough to stay quiet, which means Vivaldi is really the only one with grounds to talk.

"If that is the truth, then we are very happy for her." I don't miss the high-pitched, sharp tone. I nod and feel eager to get off the awkward topic. Despite my somewhat hurtful words, the trio continue to talk to me in a polite manner. Even Peter tries to get a word or two in, here and there.

"Hmm..." Ace gets close to me and narrows his eyes. Vivaldi scolds him for his proximity issues in the background, but he doesn't respond. Instead he bellows, "You know what? I don't feel attracted to you at all!" Silence.

"That's good, I guess. No offense, but I'm not really attracted to you, either..." I reply, polishing off my drink. He laughs and leans in a little more, a peculiar look donning his handsome features.

"You really are rude, Knight." Peter hisses, the tip of his ear shivering. Ace turns to him.

"What, it's not like you like her either!" I sigh and look away, squinting to recognize Alice's figure still hiding in the shadows.

"That's not true!" Peter counters. "I don't love her like I love Alice, but I'm not about to tell her that!" I chuckle darkly, thinking_ 'You just did'_. The two start a debate and Vivaldi huffs, turning to me for a moment.

"Do not mind them, they're just idiots. White, Knight!" The men stop bickering to answer to their Queen. "Enough! Do you wish to be beheaded?"

"Haha, Vivaldi has taken a liking to the foreigner, too! How odd. Well, I'm going to the Tower. See you later, Reese!" With that, the Knight walks off to wherever, leaving the rest of us to sigh in relief.

"What a nuisance." Peter groans, fiddling with his clock. I beam up at him from my chair.

"So you don't rhyme all the time! Who would've known?" His ears flinch again.

"Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. It all depends." After that, I continue to ask questions, more about the castle and the Role Holder's jobs than anything else, but I do happen to spend the rest of the evening in peace.

Still, the image of Alice hiding the bushes in the Castle lawn remains in my mind.

* * *

**AN:** So now Nightmare and Ace know Reese isn't part of the game, and it seems Peter is indifferent to her! He's still overly obsessed with Alice, but since Reese is close to Alice, he can seem to tolerate her.

Sorry if it was kind of boring. I'm really bad at characterization. Whew.


	5. Good Friends, Possible Enemies

**AN: **I saw this post about hairstyles/bows and one picture said "Bow on the top of her head means that she is out to get herself a man." I was literally laughing so hard because it reminds me of Alice. It makes perfect sense (to me, at least).

* * *

It's the middle of the night, and I'm opted to make a great escape from the Heart Castle. Allow me to explain: after the ten billionth tea party I've had in wonderful Wonderland, Her Majesty the Queen permitted me to take residence in her castle for the rest of my time in the world. Of course, I vehemently declined and told her I didn't plan on staying long.

She wasn't entirely pleased, so in a mini (and somewhat cute) fit of anger she ordered me to sleep in a guest room. I wasn't very happy with the turn of events, but I can honestly say that once Five escorted me to my room I ran to the bed and flopped onto it, sinking into the silk sheets like nobody's business. I passed out and now I'm awake, but I don't want to burden the Queen anymore, so I'm going to sneak out.

Let's just say I hope the guards don't mind a little game of hide and seek. Covertly, I slip out of my bed shimmy out of the swanky suit I was lent. I must say, it's sleek and very comfortable, but I'd rather not lose my head for stealing. I hear a light bout of laughter echoing from the far corner of the room and I groan, hopping into my pajama shorts.

"Alice, you have a nasty habit of showing up at inconvenient times."

"What can I say? I'm a curious person." I snort and turn to face her, gathering my hair into a sort of low-side ponytail, 'cept minus a hairband since I don't have one. She glances out the window, her turquoise eyes reflecting brilliantly in the moonlight. "Unless you're as sly and armed with weapons as Boris, I highly doubt you may survive this escapade."

I pad over and lean against the wall, looking down at the courtyard below. There _are _an unusual amount of card soldiers patrolling the area. "My, such big words for such a little girl!" I remark. She puffs out her cheeks, but says nothing in response. "I'm sure I'll live. I've got dumb luck."

Alice whirls around and walks away, her figure dissipating with each step. "Suit yourself!" I look after her and mutter under my breath, until I turn my attention back to the window. Ever so carefully, I crack it open and push my body past the tight opening. Suddenly I find myself a little stuck.

"Ugh," I moan, squirming past the obstacle, "I knew I should've stayed off the chocolates. I need to go to the Gym more often…" Without warning the window opens a little more and I squeak, falling out onto the incredibly tiny balcony. The upper half of my body almost tumbles over the edge of the railing, but I somehow manage to steady myself. Naturally, I find that just below me is a faceless standing guard, with a large spear-like thing grasped within his right hand. With it being only inches away from my body, I suppose if I had fallen, I would've been delightfully impaled on his spear. _I don't know… for a near-death experience, that was pretty anti-climactic. I'll have to try harder next time._

I bite my lip and try not to move too much, or else I might arouse suspicion (hoping that I haven't already). _Now what? Am I supposed to wait for a miracle?_ As if right on cue, a strange coo sounds from the left side of the courtyard. My head turns to the sound with the soldier's and I squint to see in the darkness. Almost immediately afterwards, I slap my hand over my mouth to muffle my choking. There's absolutely no doubt about it—Alice is saving my sorry butt.

Utilizing the time and opportunity she's given me, I creep over the edge of the balcony where the soldier isn't looking and climb down, waiting for my guardian angel Alice's next move. She howls out again, this time sounding sort of strangled, like a dying animal. The card soldier mumbles and decides to find the source of the problem. Once he's out of sight I sigh in relief and jump down to the ground. Knowing where I have to go, I sprint through the massive castle lawn and all its glory, not wasting any time.

Once I know I'm out of the way of danger, I begin to jog the rest of the way, back to the tower. However, due to lack of energy and will-power, I realize how exhausted I really am. I look ahead to see a little village-like setting. Using the last of my energy, I haul myself to the side of a building and snuggle up between some old crates and fall asleep, hoping I won't be kicked out of the town or killed overnight.

-;

"Psst!" someone hisses before my sleeping figure. _How long have I been asleep?_ I start to shift my aching body from sleep mode to be more aware of my surroundings. The shadow the person is casting over my still-closed eyelids is sort of… big. Sort of like a bouncer at a club, or something.

"But I wanna sleep… I ain't hurting no one," I drawl sleepily, not bothering to fix my incorrect statement. I raise my arm over my eyes and try to ignore the man, but he leans in closer and flicks my nose. I sit up and open my eyes, about to go on a lecture on his bad manners until I realize it's Boris.

"You're really out of it, kid." He thrusts out his hand for me to take, and helps me up. "What are you doing, sleeping out here?" I shrug, running a hand through my hair. Yuck, it feels all weird and stuff, now.

"I was really tired and didn't want to bother the Queen by staying in her guest bedroom." Boris blinks, and I observe his ever-so apparent striped boa. At least I know now _that's_ why he looks so big.

"Well, if you don't have a place to stay, come live with me!" He says suddenly, smiling. I, however, am less optimistic.

"As much fun as it would be living at the Amusement Park, I don't think Gowland would want me there…" Boris cuts me off with his finger pressed against my lips.

"Don't be like that. I'm sure the old man would love if you came to stay. After all, it seems like he gets lonely a lot lately. I could really care less, but it's just strange. He doesn't even play his violin as often as he used to." I take in this new bit of information for later and reluctantly ask Boris to lead me to the park.

As we pass by the quaint town stores and buildings, something piques my interest. "What were you even doing here?"

His tail wiggles to and fro. "Hmm? Oh, I was playing around with the Queen's guards!" He flashes me a quick grin. "It's a hobby of mine."

I huff and playfully slap his shoulder, reproaching him for admitting to such weird things. Although I do wonder whatever he means by 'playing.'

"Gosh," I breathe, my head falling back to gaze up at the sky. "I've only been here for a handful of days, and yet I feel somehow drawn to Wonderland… like I belong here—except I don't belong here." Boris remains wordless and I take this time to continue. "Gowland stated the other day that I don't belong here, Blood said he wasn't expecting another foreigner so soon, and Ace even added that Peter wasn't allowed to bring anymore outsiders. It makes me wonder why I'm even here."

Boris taps my lower back with his tail and comments "Don't worry about it so much. You're here, no matter the odds, so just revel in the time you have to spend here in Wonderland." His words take me back to what Blood said the other night._ '__Why don't you enjoy your time here?'_

"I guess you're right."

At last, we come to the Amusement Park's gates and Boris eases me through the lines. I still feel guilty for not paying, but it can't be helped. Once we enter the park, we're greeted by the workers in their glitzy uniforms and whacky coiffures. My lip twitches in amusement and I whisper to Boris, "Perhaps I should start wearing my hair in gravity-defying hairdos. After all, when in Wonderland, do as the players do." He laughs and shakes his head, patting my own.

"I'd rather you not try and look like them. It's not quite your style."

"Hello there, young lady!" We turn to Gowland's cheery call. His violin is at the ready, and this time I see a genuine smile playing upon his lips. I must say, it's definitely more welcome than the fake frontage he presented to me upon my first day of visiting. "Come to stay awhile?" I nod and allow the men to take hold of my hands. Finally relishing in the absolute tour of the park, I casually ask if we could ride something.

"I've never been on a roller-coaster before," I explain. Boris' trademark grin appears on his face and he leads me to a ride. I start to frown as we buckle into the seats, noticing the unsteadiness of the cart. "Is this safe?"

Boris rests his arm along the side and chuckles. "Of course not!" Before I can even say anything or try to get off, the ride starts and Gowland sends a thumb up from the seat ahead. Soon after the ride starts, my screams become drowned out by the sound of the cart rumbling over its tracks. Gowland and Boris are laughing hysterically at me, and I wish I had the strength to smack them both upside the head. It doesn't help that my hands are almost glued to the 'safety' bar. My knuckles are turning white from holding it so tightly.

We come to a loop and I duck my head, not wanting to see what happens. To my horror, I feel my body slipping off the seat, and I realize I'm about to fall off. Before I'm about to fall to my death, Boris grabs me by my waist and pulls me closer, laughing all the way. After a few more unnerving twists and turns, the ride comes to an abrupt halt and I yelp, my chest slamming into the safety bar. I groan and the two men help haul me out of the cart, noticing my sudden pale complexion.

"So did you like it?" Gowland asks, squatting down to meet my gaze. My mouth hangs open as I attempt to reply, and he pouts. "You didn't—"

"I loved it." I whisper, lowering my head. After a moment I snap my head up, renewed and looking like I just went through a period of enlightenment. I jump up in my bliss and push them back onto the ride, demanding we go again. This time, I'm a little more conscious of the danger and I fasten myself between Gowland and Boris, who look sincerely confused by my change in attitude. Nonetheless, we rode to our heart's content, or until I got hungry.

"Where's the grub." I ask flatly, although the words sound more like a command than they do a question. Gowland wraps his arm around my shoulders and leads me to a table. As the other two go off in search of food, I appreciate the view and study the faceless families bustling about the area. Nearby, a little girl and her parents are trying to figure out where to go next. I smile and rest my head on my palm, humming a tune.

Soon memories of my family flood into the back of my mind until they swallow my thoughts entirely. I struggle to see them clearly, but it's almost as if something's blocking them. Some obstacle is preventing me from seeing things as they are, and I can hear a voice echoing throughout my mind. The words are obscured and mangled, but it's like they're calling me…

"Reese?" I lift my gaze from the tabletop and see Boris handing me a drink. I smile and gratefully take it, along with the sandwich Gowland is now offering.

"Hey, Mr. Gowland?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you'd let me stay here a while. I don't really want to sleep in trees the rest of my life in Wonderland…" Gowland stares at me before his face lights up.

"You can stay here as long as you like!" I giggle and thank him, then eat my sandwich, unaware of the stares Boris and Gowland were giving me, respectively.

"So," I begin lightly, "can we go on the bumper cars next? I want to annihilate you two." Boris purrs and snatches away my precious food, taking a bite of it just to spite me. My stomach churns at the thought of the germs, but I don't say anything.

"You're certainly adventurous today. What gives?" The wretched cat meows between tantalizing bites of _my_ sandwich.

"I just want to have some fun, y'know? I've been thinking a lot about what you said. I have no idea when I'll be returning home, so why not spend every moment available having a grand old time?" Boris nods, handing back the sandwich. I glower at him and tear off the un-infected portions, cautiously popping them into my mouth. Meanwhile, Mr. Park Owner is sitting across from me, and I can now see his calculative stare. My cheeks burn in embarrassment, and I find myself conscious of every move I make. _What's wrong with him? Did I do something wrong?_

The sky darkens and I look up to see it's changed from the afternoon to a dazzling sunset view. Gasping, I look to the Ferris wheel and see its magnificent shadow looming over the park. Boris follows my gaze and smiles. "Did you want to go on?" I think about it for a moment and answer no. I'll save that lovely adventure for another day.

A squeal of fright emits from behind me and I glance over my shoulder, eyeing Pierce down. He's spotted Boris and probably thinks the cat'll start chasing him down. Unfortunately for him, he's right, as Boris looks ready to pounce right now. Getting a head start, Pierce dashes away, and Boris quickly scrambles after him.

"What an annoyance," Gowland sighs, and I quietly agree. "Guess it's just us, huh? Did you want to do anything?"

"Not particularly…" I trail off, feeling odd and very out of place. I meet Gowland's eyes and try to understand his expression; pained, or maybe indecisive? I can't quite read it, but I don't like it one bit. What happened to that handsome, kind old smile? How I miss it.

"What seems to be troubling you, young lady?" I laugh off his worry and stand up, brushing off the sandwich crumbs. I inform him that I'm quite fine, but he's evidently doubtful. "I see. Well, would you like for me to show you to your room? It's becoming a bit late, and I don't suspect Boris will return anytime soon."

"Oh. That'd be nice." He gets up and leads me to my room. The walk is somewhat boring, but I suppose it's because neither of us are talking. Once we're at my room, I turn to him and wait for him to make a move. Gowland just stands there, looking downcast. "What's wrong?"

"Do you… I mean—"

"Gowland…?" I ask, concerned over the tone of voice. He steps forward and I lean back.

"About Alice… did you bring her here with you?" I shake my head and attempt to put an invisible barrier between myself and the esoteric man.

"I mean, I thought she might've followed me before, but I was wrong. It was just my imagination. She's up in my world, now." After a moment of pure silence I turn to my bedroom door and begin to open it when I feel Gowland's hand on my own. He squeezes it down and I pause, feeling very uncomfortable.

"Why _did_ you come here, Reese?" A cold breeze passes over the both of us and I bite my lip in apprehension.

"Why are you asking me? It's not like I asked to come to Wonderland. Look, I know you want to talk about Alice, but I'm really tired. Please, just leave me be." His grasp loosens and I quickly swing open the door, walking into the room. Unbeknownst to me, Gowland follows and shuts the door behind him, still giving me a strange look. Hearing the click of the door I turn around and let out an exasperated groan.

"We are not having a heart-to-heart, man!"

"I just want some answers," he sounds hurt and I feel horrible for being so cranky, but at this point I don't know what else to do. "I swear to you I'll leave you alone if you just hear me out."

"Fine," I grumble, gesturing towards the bed. I crawl to the headboard and he sits at the edge, watching me carefully, as though I'd make a run for it at any second. _I don't see how that'd be possible, but whatever._

"When you… arrived, did you receive a potion of any sort?" Sensing an interrogation coming on, I brace myself.

"Uh… nope. No potions of any sort." He looks at me in surprise.

"Really? Nothing at all? No… bottle or anything?"

"No… Just me and my backpack. Anything else?" He rubs at his stubble, looking thoughtful. I briefly consider this vial he's talking about before he moves on.

"Nobody lead you here, right?" I laugh, rubbing at the back of my neck.

"Nah! Peter didn't lure me here like he did Alice, and I don't remember—" I stop laughing and something clicks in my memories. "…" Gowland tilts his head, puzzled. "Come to think of it, I did see something moving in the maze. Like when I woke up and went to get changed for bed, I thought I saw a large blurred object traversing through the bushes. That's what piqued my interest originally, because I wanted to see if anything freaky was happening. Needless to say, I got what I wanted." Gowland laughs dryly, but seems perturbed by my explanation.

"Anything else out of the ordinary?" He prods on. I shake my head and he tries to come up with some other questions for me.

"So, uh, where are you going with this? Is there like a guide for foreigners to follow or something?" I joke, but his following expression looks entirely serious.

"Well, to be honest, when a Foreigner enters Wonderland, they have their own set of rules to follow. I'm no expert, being a Role Holder, but you're supposed to get a potion to drink once you arrive." I fail to recognize the look he gives me upon saying this, as I'm too preoccupied with the thought of rules. Blegh.

"And what does drinking the liquid do?"

"Once you drink the medicine, you must interact with each of the territory's residents to refill it. Once you've filled the vial again, you can return home."

Feeling sleep come upon me, I begin to yawn. _Gosh, talk about jet lag! I'm already forgetting the conversation._ "Sounds interesting, but I'm kind of really tired. Do you mind if we continue this thrilling conversation some other time?" Gowland nods and tucks me into the bed like a father would, causing me to laugh. "What, are you going to tell me a bedtime story now?"

He pauses and smirks, an idea popping into his red-head. "Shall I? It'll be a tale of the evils of stupidity and laziness, and the main character will be a sly little cat."

-;

( Pierce's POV )

I pant as I finally escape Boris and his fork and knife. Thankfully, I managed to outwit him (for once) in the mirror house. Now I'm somewhere in the guest housing area. I wonder if that girl is still around. She was with Boris and Gowland earlier. I see one of the guest bedroom doors closed and figure she's asleep. Curiosity getting the best of me, I peek inside and, to my horror, see the park owner lying on the bed, with the foreigner right beside him. They're both asleep, but…

"What do you think you're doing, creep?" I shake in fright at the sound of the cat's voice, but I stop myself from squealing. Ignoring my presence for once, he pokes his head into the room and turns stiff, the very tip of his tail twitching in agitation. "What's the old man doing sleeping with Reese?"

The two stir at his voice, and I back away from the door. After a few moments of watching the two inside, Boris huffs angrily and steps away, closing the door.

"She's just got a bad taste in men."

-;

( Peter's POV )

I sit at my desk, brooding over the fact that Alice still hasn't returned. But if that strange girl was able to come here with no problem, then surely Alice could…

My head reels with the possibilities. Sure, I was told not to bring another more foreigners to Wonderland, but Alice had already been here. _If there's still a hole in that girl's backyard, I can go retrieve my love. I can bring her back to where she belongs; with me, at the castle._

I set down my pen and check my pocket watch. I've got plenty of time.

"I'm coming for you, Alice. Just wait for me."

* * *

**AN: **I'm sorry for that weird song in the middle of the last chapter. You'll find that Reese really likes her songs and all, so she'll sometimes sing throughout the chapters.


	6. Patience is a Virtue

**AN:** So you know the bonus chapter in the manga where Alice goes to the country of Joker, and meets White and Black? I literally spent 20 minutes laughing when Black showed up BECAUSE HE SOUNDS SO POLITE HE'S ALL LIKE "THE NAME IS JOKER. IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU, MISS!" BUT HE'S SUPPOSED TO BE A JErk?

* * *

I've been wandering around this strange realm for a while, now. I don't know what's going on, but it seems I'm having what most people would call an 'out-of-body' experience. My body is still curled up in the sheets on the bed of the guest room, but I can see myself. Maybe I died and I'm a ghost, because lifting up my arm, I can see I've become transparent. _Is this how ghosts haunt people? If so, then this is probably the best day of my life—er, my death._

I observe my sleeping form and survey the surroundings. Gowland is still fast asleep and several times Pierce tried to join the party, only to be held back by Boris. For the record, Mr. Kitty didn't look very happy with the outcome of things. At this time, the twins have entered my room and have been trying to wake me up for a solid two minutes.

For some reason, I can't seem to wake back up or insert myself back into the body sleeping on the bed; something within this invisible realm is preventing me from waking up. _I still think it's cause I'm dead. Now that I think about it, that wouldn't really make sense. If I did die, I would've left Wonderland or something, right?_  
_Argh, this world is so confusing!_

"—eese?" I look every which way upon hearing the new voice, but find nothing, or nobody, out of the ordinary. The voice whispers again, this time in my ear. I yelp and jump back, rubbing furiously at my ear.

"Ah, so you can hear me?" I frown and continue to search for the source of the sound, but I can vaguely recognize who it belongs to.

"Mr. Gottschalk, is that you?" I take his laughing as a sign of my being correct, and smile. "Well if it isn't the incubus!" I say into the still air, "It's been a while."

"Indeed it has. I am a little disappointed that you have yet to come back to the tower, but that's besides the fact. I'm honestly surprised that I'm able to communicate with you after all." As I watch the twins struggle over who gets to wake me up, I laugh awkwardly.

"What's that supposed to mean? You're an incubus. Don't you always visit people in their sleep?"

"Yes, but you're… let's just say, you're a bit of an exception."

"Well that's not very fair. You probably just don't want to visit me. Rude." He sighs and I wince, feeling the discomfort of Dee's elbow being rammed into my gut as they wrestle over the bed. Gowland hops out of bed and in his dazed state, begins to yell at Boris, who's just walked in again.

"Ah, it seems you're waking." Nightmare observes from wherever he may be. I continue to search for him in between the chaos occurring in the real world.

"Yeah, I am. How do you know? I don't see you anywhere."

He takes a moment to consider his reply. "I feel as though I should explain this, but seeing as we're running out of time, let me ask you to come to the tower. Today. Can you do that?"

My head aches, my spirit coming back into contact with my body. Waking up is such a pain. "Ugh, yeah. I'll be there as soon as I can, all right?"

"Good. I'll be expecting you." With that, I assume he leaves, and I close my eyes, only to open them again a second later. Now I'm back where I'm supposed to be, with the twins on top of me.

"I did it! I woke the lady up!" Dum exclaims triumphantly, rising above his brother. Dee puffs out his cheek in defeat and allows Dum to tower over everyone. By now, Pierce has made his grand entrance (again) by barging in, frantically hollering and shouting about my well being. I suddenly wish I were asleep again and all ghostly.

"You were really out of it, sis." Dee explains, squirming out from under his brother to come closer to my face. He's only inches away, blue eyes burning into my brown ones. I give him a pointed look and move back, my back hitting the wall. Carefully, I lift my legs out from under the covers and try to get back on the floor without hitting everyone. To be honest, I didn't think that the bed would be able to hold five people. If Gowland hadn't have climbed out to yell at Boris, the poor bed springs probably would've collapsed under the weight.

… Wait.

"Sis?" I echo dumbly, having successfully gotten out of bed. I inspect the mess of bodies on the mattress and await a reply. As though he were surprised by his own words, Dee rubs his mouth with his hand and ponders over what he said.

"I meant to say lady." He explains at last, earning an odd look from Dum and myself. _That was weird._

"So why are we having an early-morning slumber party in my room?" I ask brusquely, arching my back to stretch. Pierce lights up like a firework and the twins glower at me in disgust. _Whoa, boys, you're really taking after Blood. Stop that!_

"You're staying here?" The three ask in unison. In a tizzy, I curl a few strands of my hair into my ring finger.

"Well, yeah. Is that a problem?" The twins refuse to retort, but Pierce still looks pleased with this denouement. I cough and begin again, "I was wondering if one of you guys could take me to the Tower…?"

"No way!" Dum protests, grabbing my wrist in a painfully tight hold. "We came to get you. Boss says he wants to have another tea party." My mind reels back to the numerous amount of tea parties I've had since arriving (though it's only been two), and I stick out my tongue.

"I'm not really in the chanoyu mood, y'know? Besides, I must speak with Mr. Gottschalk. It's rather urgent." Boris laughs dryly.

"You mean Nightmare?"

"Mr. Gottschalk." I say again, not fully comprehending his satire.

"Weird, formal kid... Well, I guess I could take you," he says carefully, and I get the sudden feeling that I'm not really welcome in his presence anymore. At least, not for the remainder of the day.

"Actually…" I draw out my vowels, looking thoughtful. "I can get there by myself. I'm an expert when it comes to remembering useless things, including landscapes, so I've got the gist of the land down by now." I gently pry Dum's fingers from my wrist, earning a somewhat pained look from him that I can't understand, and start for the door.

"I'll be back before you know it!" Without waiting for them to say anything back, I close the door and sprint away. Confused by my own actions, I mutter to myself on the way out of the park. "That was more than strange. What a tense atmosphere... What's with Boris' sour mood, anyway? And the twins accidentally calling me 'sis'? They've _never_ done that before." I stop in the middle of the path and hang my head, concentrating on the specks of dirt beneath my feet. A moment later my resolve returns and I jog to the Tower, where Nightmare was waiting for me. "Maybe he'll have a few answers."

Running up to the large doors, my uneasiness fades away and this time I knock. _10 points for Gryffindor!_ Gray comes up to the door and instantly smiles upon seeing me, in all my bed headed glory. Not that he hasn't seen it before. "Welcome back. Come on in, Nightmare is waiting for you in his office." He leads me inside and we travel up the staircase.

"So… what's it like, working for him?" I ask casually, hoping to get some more information on this mysterious man.

"A pain, really. He neglects his work and whenever he becomes ill, which is almost all the time, he refuses to see the doctor. He's a sickly incubus, you see." I turn my head away and snigger, now aware of a weakness. "But he is a good man."

"I see. You two seem like you'd get along, anyhow." I add lightly, oblivious to Gray's growing blush. At last we arrive at the office, after ten billion steps up the stairs. Gray knocks for me, and we enter after receiving a greeting from Nightmare. He looks up from his papers and manages a small smile. I beam in return, fully aware of the fact that he wasn't really doing work before we came in. _What a sly dog. I know your secret. It's too late for you._

I forgot that he could read minds, so when he raises an eyebrow after my train of thought, I try to stop my brain from going off topic. "How do you do," I greet lamely while bowing. Gray and I move forward and the former offers me a seat. Gratefully, I take it and fold my hands on my lap.

"Let us continue where we left off, hmm? You asked me how I knew you were waking up earlier, despite the fact that I was nowhere in the vicinity. But first, let me elaborate on what I said before that; you, my dear, are an exception to the rules. I am unable to access your dreams through the dream realm, which is very unusual. I am usually able to visit all role holders and foreigners in their dreams. Even after giving it some thought, I can't come up with a plausible reason as to why you're out of my reach." Considerately, I nod and urge him on.

"This morning, although it took a while, I was finally able to come into contact with you. I tried to do the same on previous nights, but I was always blocked." I stop listening to him for a moment to imagine some kind of barrier in my mind, to keep Nightmare out of my thoughts. After doing so, I try to recall what I had been doing the other nights.

_I was asleep the other times he tried to visit me, right? Wait… oh, wait! Those other nights were when Alice had visited me. Has her presence been blocking out Nightmare this entire time? I didn't see her last night, so it must have been a little easier for him to contact me…_ I looked at Nightmare, still keeping in touch with the conversation while also trying to preserve my contemplations. _I can't tell him about seeing Alice. I think she'd want to remain incognito. _Having made my decision, I pull myself from my mind and pay attention again.

Realizing he had gone off subject while I was thinking, I laugh and he jolts, "Anyway, I was finally able to hear you. I couldn't see you, but I still felt your manifestation somewhere within the dream realm, and I was still able to tell if you were awake or asleep. I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to visit your dreams as I do with everyone else, but this is a good start."

"Right…" I trail off. "Hey, I have a few questions for you, now." He laces his fingers together on his desk and asks me to go on. "Okay, so earlier, like when you were talking to me in the dream blahblah, I was having a weird experience. Like… I could see everything that was happening in the room I was sleeping in, but I couldn't connect with my body until I had woken up. It's like I was detached. It was a sort of out-of-body experience. Do you know what that's all about?"

He clicks his tongue and looks at the ceiling for a few seconds. "I can't say I've heard of that happening before… but I'm sure it's nothing important. Anything else?"

"Yes. Another strange thing happened. After I woke up, I was talking idily with the twins and Boris and such, but then… I don't know. After one of the twins called me sis, things got really awkward really fast. I just really wanted to leave the park at that point, and everyone else began to behave strangely. The twins said they wanted to take me to see Blood, but they weren't particularly happy about it. Boris offered to bring me here, but he too seemed suddenly upset by my company. We haven't had many problems so far, so it was unexpected and I'm pretty sure the only one who was happy about me sticking around was Pierce. Last night, Gowland was acting peculiar too."

Gray and Nightmare share a look unknown to me and Gray decides to help me out. "I'm sure they just have to get used to you being around here." I shake my head in disbelief.

"It doesn't make sense. Like I said, they were fine before." I furrow my brows together. "Am I not wanted here?" Gray turns a little red again, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Nobody ever said they wanted you to leave. No need to jump to conclusions."

"Just give it some time," Nightmare says soothingly. "After all, we're still a little shaken up by Alice's desertion."

I nod in understanding and draw myself up from the chair. I spare a glance out the window and softly remark, "Time is a little absent in this world."

-;

After learning Victoria is too busy to hang out and Julius is too busy to even breathe, I leave the tower and figure I should meet up with Blood. Nightmare and Gray suggested I give everyone some time to recuperate from Alice's departure, but a little visit now and then can't hurt, can it?

Sadly for me, my judgment was way off and I went in the wrong direction. "What a strange forest…" I tell the trees, which seem to be fitted with different colored doors and arrows. Maybe this is like from The Nightmare Before Christmas, where Jack discovers the Hinterlands, which contains the doors to other towns. _Yeah… 'cept in this forest, there are no decorative doors with Christmas trees or turkeys on them. Looks like I won't be going to Thanksgiving Town anytime soon. There goes my life's dream._

"However, this is a cozy place to reflect upon some things," I mumble, running my hand across the bark of a tree. It feels odd and sort of artificial, but I guess I can't be too surprised. I slide down the tree, settling myself at the base. "I wonder when I can get back home. My family must be worried sick." I pause in my self-pity and listen carefully. "Is that music being played...?"

"Hello there." I snap my head up and see another stranger approaching me. He must be a role holder, seeing as he has a face, although half of it is masked. Either he's going for the pirate-hobo look like Nightmare, or he strives to become the next Phantom of the Opera.

"Good day, sir," I say politely, smoothing out my shirt. I'm obviously not as decked out as this guy next to me. He has flaming red hair, which I can admire. Gingers are great people. His eye is also red, so he could be related to Ace or Peter, or else red eyes are fairly common in this world. His outfit is very uncanny—the best I've seen yet! I'm beginning to think he's a clown or a joker, with the jester's hat and checkered man skirt. And the horrendous yet flattering striped pants… His most interesting accessory, however, is the little clip-on mask on his belt. Its curvy smile and black eyes stare into my marked soul.

"What's with the melancholic countenance, Miss? The circus is all about having fun." The tall redhead informs with his permanent smile on his charming features. I try to mimic it, not wanting to seem rude.

"I've had a rough day, sir. Sorry for looking so glum. Who are you, anyway?"

"I'm Joker—" _I knew it! __**20 points**__ for Gryffindor! _"Although Alice preferred to call me White. I'm sure you've heard of Alice by now." I tilt my head, but introduce myself before inquiring anything else.

"Nice to meet you, White Joker. I'm Reese. If you haven't heard, I'm the new foreigner. Fun, huh?" He offers a hand to help me up and I take it, about to speak again when I hear another person join the conversation.

"The name's Joker. Nice to meet you." I retract my hand quickly and whip my head back and forth, much unlike Willow Smith, who whipped _her_ **_hair_** back and forth.

"Who the—"

"Don't do that, Joker, you're going to confuse her!" White groans, looking down at his little mask. Curiously, I bend over and lean in to it, narrowing my eyes.

"What are you looking at?" It asks fiercely. I squeal and move back, crashing into the tree. After regaining my composure, I point at the talking object.

"Who, or what, is that?" White gives me a funny look and shrugs.

"That's Joker."

"You said you're Joker."

"Yes, about that…"

"Calm down, b*tch. We're both Joker. He's 'White'; I'm 'Black.'" The mask responds so casually I wonder if it knows it just insulted me.

"I can officially say I've seen it all…" I say incredulously, scratching my head. White Joker smiles apologetically.

"What brings you to my forest, Miss Reese?" My interest heightens at the words 'my forest', and I assume he's the circus master from the circus in the middle of the festive forest.

"I meant to go to the Hatter's Mansion, but I guess I made a wrong turn somewhere," I'm briefly interrupted by Black's muttering of "No sh*t Sherlock" and White scolding him. "I didn't mean to intrude on your, um, forest. It's very colorful, like your outfit."

"Thank you, and it's not a problem! In fact, we've been a little lonely. Alice hasn't been around in quite a while. Luckily, you dropped in!"

"Quite literally, if I may say so myself." I giggle sheepishly, remembering the fall into Wonderland. It wasn't as fun as I make it out to be, but that's in the past.

"You're looking a little worse for wear," White notes, probably talking about my weird choice in clothes and unruly hair. _I knew I should've just taken Vivaldi's silky suit… I looked dang good in it, too._

"Yup. So I'll just be leaving now. Mr. Dupre is probably angry I didn't go with the twins when he sent them for me."

"Is that so? Why don't you come with me? I'll show you the forest, and then take you to the mansion." Black sneered something incomprehensible after White's offer, but I paid him no mind for now.

"Okay then!" I agree. "No harm in taking a detour." White's smile grows as he gestures for me to follow after him. Eagerly, I keep a pace so that I'm just a foot behind the tall man and he answers some other questions I have about him and the circus. As I guessed earlier, he_ is_ the Circus Master.

Black, on the other hand, is like the warden of some prison. I didn't even know they had a prison in Wonderland. _Maybe there are so many criminals here that everyone needs a gun for safety reasons, like Elliot showed to me before_. _So even though he's a little fowl mouthed, Black must be a good guy! Law enforcement rules, even in Wonderland._

As we came to the circus, Britney Spears' song resonated in my head, which was fitting. The Circus is probably the happiest place in this world, save for the Amusement Park. Faceless children are roaming about, dressed up in cute little uniforms based on what act they have to perform. There are crane machines and plenty of tents and games available to play. It's literally like a paradise.

White turns to me, pleased by my reaction. Meanwhile… "What the h*ll is wrong with your face?"

I close my mouth involuntarily and cross my arms, trying to contain my excitement. "So you like it?" White asks. I nod my head a few times, and allow my brown eyes to wander over everything in sight.

"Good! So will you be attending our next show?"

"May I?"

"I think you'd like it."

"Then I'll definitely be attending! When is it?" White laughs at my zeal.

"Sometime soon, but I'm glad to see you're so eager to come."

I snort. "Well, duh! I've only ever been to one circus before, and that was because of a Girl Scout field trip. 'Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus' I recall it's called. The greatest show on Earth!" I throw my hands in the air, still recalling the time I went to the event. "I got to touch the elephant, although it was for like half a second." White smiles softly and takes my wrist, leading me somewhere.

I hear a loud noise, probably from an animal, and as we walk it grows louder and louder. That's when it hits me. "You mean—"

"A half a second is not much time at all. Why don't you try again?" In awe and shock, I tentatively reach out my hand to the large creature coming to me. It's big and gray and has a very, very long nose.

"H-h-hello!" I squeak, my trembling fingers grazing over the elephant's trunk. It pushes against my hand, allowing me to get closer. I do so and begin to run both of my hands across the elegant animal's face, careful not to startle or hurt it.

Nonsensical words and noises flow from my mouth while White and two faceless children stand on the sidelines, watching me make a fool of myself.

"Are you going to leave yet, crazy?" I stop fantasizing and pull away from the elephant quickly, my face aflame from embarrassment.

"Sorry about that. I love animals so much." I turn to the animal again lovingly. "He's just so cute…" White hums in agreement, and I step back. "I should be getting to the mansion, now, but I really appreciate you doing all this!"

"I see. I wish you would stay longer. Perhaps next time? I'll be looking forward to seeing you at the show!" White pats my head in a fatherly manner and I grin up at him. Black's salutation is not so kind, but I can't complain.

"See you whenever, wh*re. Have a safe trip."

"Gee, thanks for the sickly sweet goodbye, Black. It was such a pleasure to meet you." I turn and leave, after White gives me directions. He says he would've taken me to the mansion himself if the children had not informed him of an issue in the circus at the last minute. I get the feeling that White and Black will come to be great friends of mine.

-;

I jog my way to the mansion, trying to make it before dark. Along the way to Blood's place, another question plagues my mind.

_Nightmare didn't seem too keen on introducing me to the Joker's Circus, yet White seemed so nice! Black wasn't too bad, either, if you looked past the swearing._ _I wonder why that is… then again, under White's smile I felt some sort of danger lurked. Maybe it's just my imagination._

"The lady is here!" Bringing me back to reality, the twins shout from down the road and wave, innocent smiles on their faces. It's much different from this morning. I start to believe in Nightmare and Gray's insistence that everyone just wanted to recover from their loss without too much distraction from a weird girl like me._  
_

"Hey guys! Am I in time for the tea party?" I run up to them, grinning. They escort me inside the mansion and tell me of the change in plans.

"Boss said he'll save the tea party for another night, but he'd still like to see you!" They lead me to his office, and to my surprise, it doubles as a ginormous library. Being a bookworm, it's another piece of heaven after the Circus.

Blood looks up from his work, wearing reading glasses, and acknowledges me. "I was beginning to think you wouldn't show."

Shyly I explain the situation as Elliot enters, waving happily at me. "I had an engagement with Nightmare earlier, and then I had an affront with the Joker. Jokers?" I linger on my plurals as the twins frown.

"You ditched us for that loser incubus?" Dum whines.

"And you went to the Circus instead of coming here?" Dee adds, clearly not happy with my decision making abilities. In fact, even Blood and Elliot seem disconcerted by my choice.

"It was an accident! I was coming here when I made a wrong turn and wound up in his forest. I was stumbling about when he found me and took me to the circus. White's a very nice man, I think, and Black isn't so bad either. I'm sorry I went the wrong way." I express my remorse while twiddling my thumbs together.

"It's quite all right." Blood pardons, sliding off his glasses in a coolish manner like the heartthrob he is. Elliot's ears flatten as he cautiously warns me to keep away from the Jokers.

"Fine. But I'll be attending their show," I sigh, shuffling my feet. I look up again and beam at Blood. "So you have your own library? Do you mind if I peruse it?" Blood chuckles, the slightest twinkle reaching his eyes.

"Go right ahead. I hope my collection satisfies you." I bow and instantly make my way to the walls, quickly scanning over the titles. Surprisingly enough, he has books from the outside world, too. I take a large, lengthy storybook and skip over to a couch. Before I plop onto it, I ask permission to sit down. Again, I'm permitted, and I cuddle up onto the soft velvet couch, curling my feet under my bottom to keep them warm. Elliot and Blood chat on their own, but the twins come over to me in an effort to get me to play with them.

"Guys, I just started reading!" I protest, burying my head into the book. Their little fingers slide over the pages so I can't see.

"But reading isn't any fun. Play a game with us!"

"How about we play the quiet game?" I suggest cheerily.

"What's that?"

"Whoever stays quiet the longest wins," I move away the book from their chubby fingers to read. _I guess it doesn't matter if they interrupt or not; this is too hard for me to even read. Of all things, w__hy did I forget my glasses at home?_

"That doesn't sound like fun…" Dee says plainly, climbing onto the couch to sit next to me. My leg becomes warmed by his body heat, and I wriggle to move a bit away from him. His brother joins him and they begin their own little discussion. Utilizing this time, I snag my MP3 from my drawstring bag (I'm telling you, I take it everywhere) and listen to my playlist.

From the corner of my eye I see Blood staring at me, with his head resting on the palm of his hand. Elliot is still babbling to him. I glance up to meet his gaze, and some sort of connection passes through the both of us. As a result, we both shiver a little in synchronization, and this time it does not go unnoticed by Elliot. "You all right?" I hear him ask faintly.

"I'm fine. You were saying?" Blood breaks away from my eyes. I turn up the volume on my music and delve into the storybook again. They're stories I heard when I was little, like the Three Little Pigs and such.

Something beeps nearby and I pause my music, waiting for it to happen again. A minute later the beep comes once more and I fumble through my bag. "What the…?" My eyes widen in shock and incredulity as I pull out my phone. The screen is lit up, and at the top of the interface is a little message icon, indicating I've got a text. "There's no way!" I gasp, gaining everyone's attention. The twins are first to talk.

"What is it?" Dum moves closer to me to look at the phone. "What is _that?_" I tell him the function of a cell phone and what the letter means. Elliot, who's been listening in the whole time, speaks next.

"So what does the message say?"

I open it and freeze. It's from my friend at school. _Doesn't she know that texting internationally costs more?_ I read aloud:

"Hey Reese! So you're in England, right? I'm so jealous of you. Anyway I was talking to your sister the other day and for some reason she was talking about pictures she got of your family and some other girl, but you weren't really mentioned. Did you guys fight or something? Answer back if you can. Oh, and tell me how the trip is. Met any cute boys yet? – Katie"

The room is filled with a pregnant silence until Blood decides to break it. "This is certainly an interesting development."

I re-read the text over and over again to fully understand its words. "This hardly makes sense. There's no way I could get service in Wonderland. And... and why wasn't I mentioned? I mean… obviously I fell into that stupid hole and wound up here, so don't you think they'd be searching for me? Wouldn't my parents have said something about that?"

For whatever reason my heart begins to ache and I grab my shirt, shaking. "They _must_ be worried about me... I'll bet they're wondering where I am right now! I'm sure they didn't tell my sister anything because they didn't want her to be troubled."

"I wouldn't dwell on it too much if I were you," Blood says swiftly. I whip my head to stare at him, only to see he's watching me with keen intent again. "Once you return home, everything will go back to normal." As he tells me this odd truth, I can't help but wonder if there's a double meaning behind the words.

"Yeah, you're kind of right. Sorry for freaking out like that." My hand falls limp at my side and the twins move in even closer.

"Yeah! Won't you play with us for now? It'll make you feel better." I give a shy smile and ask them to suggest a game. They list off a few of their 'favorite' games, ranging from Kill or Die to some version of Russian roulette.

"Oh… you're a little young to know those kinds of games, don't you think?" I chortle, poking at their heads. They shake their head, confused by my reasoning.

Elliot chimes in, "They aren't the Bloody Twins for nothing." I twitch upon learning this new nickname. _It's disturbing, yet I can see how they're labeled that._ "So can we play tomorrow? I'm beat."

"Yeah, but you have to play with us no matter what."

"Mhm!" Dum jabs his finger at me playfully. "No running away or trying to leave early." I wave away their concerns and promise to give them my undivided attention tomorrow. After saying my farewells, a maid brings me to the same guest bedroom I was given before, as well as a nightgown. Reluctantly, I slip it on and climb into bed. Hopefully Nightmare will understand my inability to return to the tower again.

"Mom... dad…" I twist my fingers into the velvety sheets. "You are thinking of me, right?"

* * *

**AN:** I'm new to writing the Jokers, so I'm going to try and go off of my gut instinct. They change a bit throughout the story, as do the other characters. I'll just have to find their characterization through writing.  
I don't swear so pardon the asterisks and such. My angelic little friends have convinced me to never swear, and now I've gotten so into the habit that I can barely type out a cuss without feeling bad. It's kind of funny, actually.

Any mistakes? Please point them out! I'd appreciate it.


	7. Happiness is a Warm Gun

"Oh my…" I groan, peeling open my eyes. They're sticky with sleep and my whole body just feels heavy with disappointment. Alice hasn't been around for a while, and Nightmare hardly talked to me last night. I make a small reminder to myself to learn how to become a better conversationalist. In an attempt to wake myself up, I hit my head with the palm of my hand a few times before I freeze. Much to my horror, I can feel the oil and grime that has built up in my hair overnight.

"Help! I need a shower, presto!" I cry out, jumping up onto the bed. Without hesitating, I gather my belongings from the dresser nearby and sprint out of the room. Thankfully Blood told me where the bathroom was, in case I needed it for whatever reason. I race through the hallways in search of my beloved shower. To my luck, it isn't too far from my guest bedroom. I enter the room and pause, a little confused. _This is the bathroom, right?_

Before me is a large pool, and it looks as though it were recently used. Steam rises from the water, spreading across the room. It envelopes me for a few seconds and I start to sweat a bit, feeling the heat. I briefly wonder if I accidentally found the sauna instead. Something in my brain clicks and I pound my fist onto the palm of my other hand.

"Ah, I see! It's just like in those Japanese games and shows where they have those public bath houses. So Blood is into that oriental stuff. But am I really supposed to use this to clean myself?" Cautiously, I approach the pool and peer into the water. Hiding out behind a cloud of steam, I lift my head to see if anyone was still present in the room. Thankfully, I seem to be the only one awake.

After a few moments of fumbling about and having to search for shampoo and soap, and trying to take off my clothes on the slippery floor, I feel ready to tackle this new experience head on. As I lower my leg into the warm water, I try to give myself words of encouragement. _Think of it this way—you're becoming culturally aware! Or is it 'culturally diverse?' Oh, what does it matter. This isn't so bad. Just get in, clean yourself, and get out._

Once my entire lower body has been submerged in the water, I pinch my nose and sink down, to get some of the water onto my face and hair. I rise up, feeling totally relaxed in the warm environment. After a minute or so of dawdling, I finally get around to washing my hair and body. Everything is totally fine, up until I hear footsteps from down the hall.

"... I also filled out those papers, like you asked!" I hear Elliot say, his deep voice resounding throughout the room. I hiss and lower myself into the water more, acting as though they couldn't see me in the slightly foggy water if they are coming into the bath (like I fear).

The two walkin with only towels wrapped around their waists. Thank goodness they don't seem to see me yet. I take this chance to move to the far side of the pool. Stupidly, I pull my clothes into the water to slip them on in case I did happen to bump into one of the guys. _There's **no way** I'm letting them see me without some sort of fabric on my body._

They slip into the bath, talking about some nonsense or other. I clasp a hand over my mouth to stop myself from gagging as Elliot slips a cigarette into his mouth. Unable to stop my impulse, I jump up from my hiding spot in the corner and point at him, shouting, "What do you think you're doing?!"

Immediately, both men turn to me in bewilderment, with Elliot almost getting out of the bath from shock. "Wh-what are you..."

"You are going to get lung cancer. Take it out, Elliot!" I demand, moving closer. Consciously, he holds onto his towel and spits out the addictive, his ears red in humiliation. Blood, still leaning coolly against the ledge, gives me a contemplating look.

"Are you trying to bathe? I'm afraid to inform you that washing yourself requires taking off your clothes." I give him a dirty look and explain my situation.

"We didn't see you," Elliot points out. I turn and gesture towards the corner I was in.

"Sorry about interupting and being a big giant creep, but smoking bothers me..." I pout and cross my arms. "I shouldn't have yelled, though. It's your choice I guess." Elliot blinks and gives a warm smile.

"No, it's fine! I can understand your point." It takes a moment for us all to remember we're in a steaming hot bath. Always the shy guy, Elliot speaks again, sounding strange. "Did you, uh, want us to leave?"

I wave the suggestion off. "I'm all clean, now. I should probably get out." I tug at my sopping wet clothes, sticking to my skin. Grimacing, I look down at Blood. "Could I borrow some of your clothes?"

"I don't think you'll fit in my clothes, Miss." Blood states placidly. I roll my eyes and rephrase the question.

"All right then. Maybe I borrow an..." I gulp and tug at my collar. "_Outfit_, please?" A smirk plays on Blood's lips as he nods and grabs my hand. Pulling me forward, he inspects my body, making me tense. Elliot watches and we both wait for Blood to continue.

"You're bigger than Alice, no doubt," I bow my head, self-aware. "I think we'll find something to better suit you than these... items of clothing you're wearing."

"I'll just be needing something to wear until mine are dry..." I say avert my eyes while he continues to look me up and down.

"Go off and find the twins to help you, then. I'm sure they're still in your room, unless they decided to get up and do their job." Elliot snorts in contempt, but says nothing else.

"Wait, why are they in my room?" I ask, utterly confused. I can't remember seeing them in there.

"They were sleeping with you." Blood laughs at my sudden state of shock and lets go of my arm. "It's just like you to not notice. Goodbye, Miss Reese."

I walk off without replying.

Sneaking into my room, I cling to the walls in desperation, seeing as Blood was right; the twins are in my bed, sleeping like angels.

I move to the closet and slip inside, gasping. "It's like freakin' Narnia in here!" The closet could literally pass as a whole new room itself, with endless rows of gowns. I glide my fingers over the outfits, smiling. "Alice, you must've had a blast in here. I can see you wearing some of these outfits." For some reason, she strikes me as the type to take pleasure in shopping sprees and makeovers.

"Lady? What are you doing?" I cringe and look over my shoulder shyly to see Dee standing in the doorway.

"I'm... well, as you can see, my clothes are a little too wet to wear. Blood said I could borrow for now." Dum yawns and pushes past his brother, browsing through the selections with me. Sleepily, with one eye being rubbed at, he picks a pink frilly dress and shoves it to me.

"Wear this one."

"No!" Dee comes forward, looking annoyed. He taps his lip and steals a shorter, teal-ish dress with more less fabric for more skin to show. "This one. It's prettier." Dum observes the object in his twin's hands and gives a blank stare.

"This one is cuter. The lady would look better in it!" He argues, and I hold up the pink dress to my body, trying to decide myself. I give an exasperated sigh at the end results.

"Actually, guys, neither of these will do." I take the items by their hangers and return them to the shelf. "My skin tone isn't right_—_I would look a little silly." Realizing the mistake they made in choice of color, both boys quickly returned to their searching. I sigh and stand back, knowing they were probably more fashionable than I could ever be.

At last, after half an hour (or so I had to guess) of looking they both agreed on gradient green dress with some accessories here and there. I reluctantly took it, loving the color, but not too keen on wearing something so non-athletic. As I shove the twins out of the changing room I spy one of Blood's own collection bin of clothing. Smirking, I tip-toe to it and rummage through the goods, setting aside the pretty dress given to me. _After all, he never said I** had** to wear a dress. Little poser. Even if he's right about them being a little... loose on me._

I pick out an outfit almost identical to his, and suit up. Chuckling at my reflection in the mirror I slip on some boots and stomp out into the bedroom. Dee and Dum, from where they're sitting, observe me with equally appalled expressions.

"What about the dress?" Dee springs up, arms crossed. I shrug, the sleeves falling a bit over my hands.

"This is just payback. You'll understand as you grow older, my lovely children." A while later, we meet up with Elliot and Blood, who offered to keep quiet about our earlier run-in from the twins. Though as Blood sees what I've taken from his closet, he's less than amused, and I could tell he was dying to spill my awkward story of stumbling upon he and Elliot in the bath room.

As of the moment, we're sort of walking around outside, which is odd because I was more than sure that Blood had work to get done. Likewise, Elliot mentioned in passing something about negotiations in another territory, and the twins had to guard the gate sooner or later. I decide to give them a chance. "I need to get home," I yawn into the morning sun, elongating my arms high above my head.

"You mean you're leaving?" I do not misunderstand the implications and quickly re-word myself.

"No, no! I mean I must return to the Amusement Park. That's where I'm staying, remember?"

Blood gives an amused smile, much to my dismay. "Oh, so you prefer older men. Is that it?" Not seeing what he was getting to, I tip my head and analyze the sentence while the twins huff and puff in the background.

"Why are you staying with that old guy and the cat?"

"Dude, Boris is your friend."

"Yeah, but he can spend more than enough time with you at the park!" They contend, making a point. Strange how their emotions towards me change. Just a day ago they were being little jerks with scythes and now they're crazy-jealous kids. Still with scythes.

"Calm down, it's not like I'm going to stay there every moment of the day." I look up to the sky and stop walking. "I should go see Five before I go back home_—_er, go back to the park!"

"Five?" Elliot asks, readjusting his scarf.

"He's just a card soldier I met. Really nice, though."

"Well, if you feel so inclined to see your boyfriend, then you best be going. Time is spontaneous in this world, don't you know." Becoming accustomed to Blood's bursts of sarcasm, I laugh dryly and turn around, waving to the men now behind me.

"Thanks for having me over. I'll be back soon to get my pajamas and return the _outfit_!" Blood snuffs visibly at me, as I wave at them, the cuffs falling over my small hands.

Marching through the paths, I make it to the Heart Castle in record time. Well, I almost make up. It's just up the big stupid cliff-mountain-thing that takes forever to climb, but I see a familiar face wandering about the yards.

"Hey, Mr. White!" He stops and turns towards me with contempt. Upon seeing his harsh glare, the genial expression on my face fades. "Uh... or maybe 'hey' isn't the right word in this situation?"

He does not seem amused by my horsing around, so he grunts, "What do you want?" I step forward guardedly, trying to make myself seem friendly to the irritable man.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing! You look... tired."

"_I am_."

"Oh! I'll j-just leave you be, then..." I stammer hastily, walking away. I hear footsteps behind me, and I hope it's not Peter following me. Apparently, luck downright hates me. I go faster, and he matches my pace easily. Without warning, a hand clamps itself down onto my shoulder and I turn around, frightful and unsure of what to do.

"LECHERY!" I screech, thrusting my index finger forward to point to the offender. "I'M CHARGING YOU FOR LECHERY!"

Astonished, he retracts his hand and wipes it on his pants. "What are you prattling on about?"

"Why are _you_ following me, creep?"

"I wasn't done speaking with you," he growls.

"Really? 'Cause the way you were acting certainly says otherwise." He scoffs and crosses his arms indignantly.

"Never mind that. You must tell me how you got here."

I gave him my best deadpan look. "I've told this story a billion and one times; I don't think it's changed since the last time I told it!"

He presses on, "I need to know."

"What for?"

"That's none of your business!"

Seeing this conversation going nowhere, I said again the story of how I stumbled across the burrow in the back of my step-dad's old house and he cut me off, his red eyes wandering.

"I see... so it may still be there." His tone becomes ten times lighter and he breaks out into a large, devastatingly happy grin."At last, I can retrieve my love!"

"Yeah, have fun with that. I'll be leaving now." I give a half-hearted salute but his mutterings stop me from leaving just yet. I listen in a bit before hearing something that vaguely disturbs me.

He repeats from before, but with more determination, "I can retrieve Alice from that wretched world."

"...?! Peter, what did you just say?" Looking over my shoulder, he smiles.

The man clasps his hands together and brings them to his mouth; he's positively beaming. "Alice can return, now, and we'll be together again. I just have to go back to your world and fetch her, and then_—"_

_**Whoa**. _I lift my hands as if signaling him to stop talking. "You're going to what? Bring Alice here? Y-you... you can't do that!" Something in his dark eyes flicker.

"Why, of course I can!"

"Don't be ridiculous, Mr. White. What if she doesn't want to return to Wonderland?"

"You're the one being ridiculous, young lady," he derides. "There's no reason she wouldn't want to come back. I just know she was happy here, despite all that's happened." He starts to ramble and I become worried that he's being entirely serious.

"W-well, you can't bring Alice back. I won't let you!" I snap, growing tired of his selfishness. "Peter, you've done gone lost your mind." He slaps his hand to his forehead at my use of incorrect grammar. In the next instant, his pocket watch transforms into a gun, and the barrel is shoved in my face. _And the good mood is gone. I think I should have just kept on walking._

"You've told me all I needed to know, anyway. I'm afraid you're of no use to me anymore." He cocks the gun in an attempt to scare me (it's working) and looks me dead in the eye. "It was nice meeting you, _outsider_."

* * *

**AN:** So this is sort of really short and boring, but what can I say? I'm actually going to go work on another one-shot to accompany "A Different Kind of Sport".


	8. Hey Kid, Nice Shot

In the face of mortal danger, I childishly stamp my foot on the ground and cry out, "Fine! Kill me! See if I care. You know what? I'll just wake up! Yeah!" Intrigued by my sudden outburst of repudiation, Peter lowers the gun a fraction of an inch.

"I bet I never even went to England. I _bet _this is just the result of impending boredom and a rampant imagination because I'm stuck in the house all day while my friends are off having adventures in all sorts of places. _I bet you _that the only reason I'm having this absurd nightmare is because I'm just a 'lonely child', right? Because I spend my time cooped up in my room, reading fairytales? Well, I don't care. Whatever the moral of this dream was supposed to be, I'm not going to listen any longer; I'm fine just the way I am and anybody or anything that disagrees can just… just get over it!" Asserting myself, I cross my arms and close my eyes, awaiting my untimely 'death'. But it never came. The bullet never struck me.

"Oi, lady!" I jump at the familiar sound of the twins fast approaching us and open my eyes, seeing Peter still looking at me. I can't quite place the emotion pooling in his red eyes, but I can definitely tell he isn't angry with me. His gun is still pointed to my chest, but I don't think he's going to shoot. The twins stop between our standoff and frown simultaneously.

Reluctant to speak, they shook me a questioning look, which I exchange to Peter, who still isn't moving. "… 'Sup Dee. Hey Dum." I manage, lifting my shoulders in cordiality. "What's shakin'?"

"You said you would spend the day with us!" I look up to the sky, barely recalling the events that took place last night.

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot. I guess it's a good thing you caught me before I got to the castle…" the twins eagerly take my arms in a steady grip and drag me off, back in the direction of the mansion. I struggle to free myself from the unyielding hands of the boys, but it's of no use. But I've got to stop Peter…! I give him a pleading look as the twins continue to haul me down the path to Blood's place, but he still doesn't make an effort to speak. The only thing that's changed is his gun has been displaced, no longer in his hand, but back to its original duty as a watch.

Dum squeezes my wrist, cutting off my blood circulation, and I look back at the two. "You're going to love our room!" One boasts, pulling me in his direction.

"We'll show you all of our treasures, and maybe we can even play a game!" The other adds, voice rising in excitement. I would find it much cuter if it weren't for the fact that I almost died. They slip me past the gates, and I jokingly mock Elliot's tone of voice.

"You little brats are supposed to be guarding the gate!" I echo in a deep voice, puffing out my chest to make myself seem manlier. The boys laugh, congratulating me for my spot-on imitation and we continue to mimic the rabbit's words and weird mood swings.

"I'm a stupid, perverted chicky rabbit!" Dum exclaims, crossing a hand over his chest while contorting his face to make it seem more serious. I snort a little and Dee goes next.

"I like yelling at Dee and Dum to make myself feel better, because I'm horrible at my job!" This time I'm forced to clap a hand over my mouth to suffice the giggles.

"You guys, that's mean!" I protest, desperately trying to hide my smile. They see through it and push me to join in the fun.

"Well, all right… Ahem." I clear my throat and toss my head up in the air theatrically. "I'm Elliot March, I _love_ carrots and I follow Blood Dupre around like a puppy dog." Dee's lip begins to quiver, and I take the initiative to continue. "Except I'm not a dog; I'm a rabbit! I try to convince people that I'm not a bunny at all, but in reality, I am just a big, fluffy rabb—"

My nose squishes against Elliot's chest, making it incredibly itchy for a second, and I fall back, bringing the twins down with me. Groaning, I shake my head and look up apprehensively, seeing the sheer horror and humiliation clear on Elliot's face. Immediately a sick feeling conjures in my stomach and I feel as though my heart has been punctured by a million, minuscule needles. I stutter out an apology as quickly as I can, but the words become entangled within one another and it comes out as a big, sloppy word with little meaning.

"Hello again, miss. Back so soon?" I whip my head to the right to face Blood's half-sneer and my throat dries up. Taking heed of my inarticulateness, the twins stand up and speak for me.

"We're going to take her to see our room!" I lift myself off the ground and my eyes flicker back to Elliot, who now has a look of worry, but he remains speechless. Not that I blame him.

"I see," Blood replies, looking pleasant. "Do have fun, then." His ghostly words echo the hallways as we walk away, but the image of Elliot's pained expression lingers in the front of my mind, not willing to dissipate.

At last, we arrive at the twins' room and I freeze, laughing uneasily. "This is your room, huh…?" It's large and very darkly themed. There are weapons everywhere, from the ceiling to the floor. Everything that wasn't tinted gray or black was red or blue, to match each boy's style. From what I can tell, the room seems to be symmetrical, too. I honestly don't know what I was expecting. "It's… cozy."

They take me to the nearest couch and push me onto it, grinning like madmen. "You're going to love our toys, lady!" Dee proclaims, running off to get some of his favorite weapons. I stare at my surroundings, trying to get used to the violent atmosphere. There are knifes and scythes and all sorts of torture devices. _The Bloody Twins, hm?_ Curiously, I take a peek at Dum's face and ser a trace of blood drawn from his cheek.

"Whoa, did you get hurt?" He turns to me, confused. I lean forward and swipe my thumb over his cheek, smearing the liquid over my finger. That's definitely blood. "What were you doing?" He flashes me a wide grin.

"Brother and I were playing a game with some faceless who tried to see the boss!" Alarmed, I continue to dab at the liquid running down his face, waiting for it to dry up.

"What kind of game involves cutting yourself?" I ask incredulously, a hint of anger in my usually soft voice. Dum grabs my hand, still smiling, and stops my progress.

"Don't worry—we won!" Perturbed, I'm prepared to interrogate him further on the subject when Dee arrives again, holding many items in his small hands. He dumps them onto the table in front of me and I squirm, feeling a small drop of sweat running down my neck.

"Charming…" I begin, but I literally have nothing else to say. It's a bit of a dry topic for me, since I've never really kept weapons of my own. The boys hold up their favorite items, explaining their obsession over the objects.

"Isn't this axe amazing?"

"Take a look at my grenade!"

The room was disturbingly quiet for a total of five seconds before both brothers scoffed at each other's words. Somewhat amused, I sit back in the couch and watch them duke it out.

"No, brother, battleaxes and cleavers are much better than grenades…" Dee***** retorts, thrusting his axe towards me. Tentatively I take it and inspect it, silently, as to not give away my indifference. Dum turns red and takes my other hand, slapping a grenade onto it.

"You're wrong! Grenades are better, because people get blown up, and chunks of their body fly off everywhere!" I lift the grenade up and down, weighing it, but I still don't say anything. Aggravated, the twins stand up and continue to argue.

"H-hey, guys," I say, still looking at the weapons in my hands. I'm ignored, of course, so I try another approach. Standing up, I stomp on the floor and shout at the top of my lungs. "_**You guys**_!" They shut up almost instantaneously, turning to me. Satisfied, I'm able to finish my sentence. "They're both cool, I guess. I don't know a lot about these things, but I think they're both really awesome ordnances!" I hand each twin back their possession and cross my arms, feeling thoroughly pleased with myself. The boys break into smiles.

"Awesome! So you're into weapons?"

"I-I guess?"

"Hey, brother, let's show her our special treasure!" Dum suggests, hopping over the couch to retrieve another item. Cheekily, Dee slings his arm around mine and says how delighted I'll be to see their newest addition. I nod, unsure, but I try to remain a little optimistic. _As long as they aren't using them on anyone or anything, I guess it's harmless._ Dum then sprints back to our happy spot on the couch and dangles a shiny thing in front of my face. I lean back and recognize it as being a knife.

"Er…"

"Isn't it beautiful, Reese?" Startled, I look at Dee in awe as he's finally referred to me by my name. There really is a first for everything. I grab the knife by its handle, staring into my odd reflection on the blade. They must be really serious when it comes to their 'toys', as they're all very clean and well kept.

"It's… lovely. Absolutely." I say, rotating it in my hand. Unbeknownst to me, the twins share a devilish look and one takes the knife back.

"Do you want to try it out?" They stand up and kneel in front of me, acting very suspiciously. I toss my fears aside, which is probably a very bad idea but hey, I'm only human.

"Well… sure! What, do you want me to try and throw it at something? You probably have a dartboard stashed around here…" My words trail off as they take me once again from my comfortable seat on the couch and lead me out into the hallway. While walking, one of the twins slips a blindfold over my face and I gasp. _**No.**_ "Wait a second; I can barely throw when I can see! Where are you taking me?"

"We're taking you to a place where you can practice your aim!"

Dum laughs cheerily, nudging me affectionately. "Yeah, we'll teach you to throw, Reese. Don't worry!"

"That's actually what I'm afraid of…" I murmur, unsettled by this change in events. I gently remind myself that they're only kids, and they probably don't know how to handle their own weapons. There's no menace here. _Really, this'll be fun. You need to stop over thinking things, darn it! _The twins graciously direct me on where I have to step and turn, and I can't help but complain about the blindfold again. "You couldn't have waited to put it on me until we got to wherever we're going?"

"Nope!"

_Well then_. I trip over a step and hear a bird chirping nearby. "Whoa. We're going outside for this?"

"Yeah! It's better to be outside, 'cause then you can't make such a mess!"

"What's that supposed to—"

"Okay, sis," they stop me and I twitch my nose. _Again, they're calling me by an unfamiliar nickname. The last time they called me that, everything became weird._ This time it doesn't feel so odd, and neither twin takes back the comment. Back to the challenge of throwing a knife blindfolded, I feel like I might make a fool out of myself. The one previously withholding the knife opens my palm and places the item gingerly into it. I gain a taut hold onto the knife and swallow thickly. "Raise your arm like this… yeah, that's good! Now try turning your body so that you're facing me."

"Me who?" I snort.

"Me!" I can't tell their voices apart, but I somehow manage to follow the vague instructions. "Now hold the knife like so," the twin speaking to me twists the knife properly in my hand and I nod, almost ready.

"Where's your brother?"

"Don't worry; he's getting the target ready!"

"Oh, okay." I relax and lick my lips in apprehension. "I think I can do this." I say confidently, earning a happy shout from the other boy getting the target ready.

"Okay! All ready, brother!"

"Ready… and… throw!" I hurl the knife, and it slices through the muggy air until it hits my target with a dull thud. A moment of silence until the other twin shouts back.

"Almost a bullseye!" I squeal, jumping up and down._ I did it._ _I can't believe I did it!_ The twin beside me hugs my flank, giving me words of praise. The other runs by, enthusiastically grabbing at my other side.

"Yay, you're one of us now!"

"So!" I start, about to slip off my blindfold. "What did I—" I regret taking the blindfold off. I want to slip it back on, but it's too late. It's much too late.

Before me is a horrific scene. A body lay still on the ground, lying in a pool of dark red liquid. The fluid seeps from the figure's center, encasing the knife I threw. That's it. That was my mark. That man, lying in a puddle of his own blood, was my target. And I hit him, dead center.

"Sis?" I ignore the twins entirely, lost in my own disturbance and repulsion. The world swirls around me, throttling me. I consequently raise my hand to my throat, to my mouth, to my head. My head is pounding, my own conscience screaming at me for my sins. I blink and everything becomes blurred. Staggering forward, I struggle to approach the inanimate form. Finally landing before the faceless man, I look down and see his chest heaving. I'm shocked to discover him still breathing; I begin to lose it.

I drop to my knees, shaking so hard that I can barely see straight. The ticking noise from before reverberates, pulsating through my wracked brain. I reach out to the man's abdominal and touch the knife. He lets out a cry of pain and I choke back a yelp_. If I'm not collected, he'll just freak out even more. I __**have**__ to do this._ Panting, I touch his sweating face and begin to speak.

"I—I'm going to help you, okay? Just calm down and… and don't move, all right? Here, we n-need to stop the bleeding…" I quickly pull off the dark silk jacket of Blood's suit, placing it beneath the man's head. He wheezes against the pain of the knife still stuck in his center. Gulping, I take the handle gently and explain to him what I'm going to do. In the meantime, I notice the twins watching in confusion.

"What are you doing to that man?"

I ignore them again, fighting back my disbelief. _They aren't even helping… No, Reese, stop. Focus on what you have to do. _"This is going to hurt, but I have no choice." Grasping his colorless hand in my own, I close my eyes and pull the knife out. The faceless man screams, squeezing my hand. As a reaction, I cry out in stress, not knowing the sort of pain the man must be going through. Flinging the horrid knife away, I press my palm to the wound. "We need to get you to a hospital!"

"Hey sis?"

"D-Dee, call for help!" For the first time, I look at them, still trembling. It's hard to see them in the same light as before, but I can't do this alone. "Go get a doctor or something!"

"But sis…" Dum moans and I _snap_.

"**_Do it now_**!" I screech, looking away. Without a moment's hesitation the twins scramble off, hopefully going to get help and not just escaping my wrath. The man beneath me opens his mouth, trying to speak but he just breathes some more. I lean forward, soothingly whispering into his face. "Don't worry, you're going to be fine. Don't speak; you need to just keep still and wait it out. I promise, I'll get you better." Taking my advice, he just rests his head back. I continue to apply pressure to his wound, despairingly disregarding the sensation of the warm blood soaking my hands. After what feels like an eternity, the twins return with Blood, Elliot, and a few faceless doctors and nurses. I'm so relieved that I almost release my compression on the gash.

"Th-thank goodness. Okay, the doctors are here and they're going to help you. See? What did I tell you? You'll be fine." The doctor kneels beside me, inspecting the damage. He brings his hand close to mine and tells me when to switch. Quickly, we exchange liabilities and I pull back, blood dripping from my arms. I glance down at the man, his breathing pattern completely uneven, and vow to visit him at the hospital. He nods, sparing the slightest of smiles. Quickly, Elliot comes to me and grabs me by the shoulders.

"Are you okay? What happened?"

I bite my lip, looking at the discarded knife. Dee strides over to it, picking it up. He doesn't seem at all fazed; in fact he seems pleased. Rage boils up inside me. I grit my teeth and my soft, scared gaze hardens into one of abnegation and vague animosity. In reality, I have a hard time being truly angry with anyone, unless I've been pushed to the edge, and I think now's the time that they've drawn their first straw.

"How could you?" I whisper, walking up to the boy. He tilts his head, puzzled by my change in behavior.

"What do you mean, sis?" I shake my head fervently.

"Don't call me that! You know exactly what I mean." I raise my bloody hands, wiggling my fingers. The liquid sticks to the skin between my fingers and oozes down to the ground, making a gruesome noise as it falls. "You," I turn and point at Dum. "And you. Both of you tricked me!"

"They what?" Elliot demands, sounding outraged. I nod, although he can't see me.

"I thought this was supposed to be practice; a game! You never told me I would be using a real person as a target. And you said I almost hit the _bull's-eye_?" I jolt, trying not to imagine what might've happened if my aim had been better. "How sick and twisted are you two?!"

"B-but sis, we always do these things! You said you wanted to join us!"

"I didn't want_ this_." I glance at the injured man as he's being taken away to a proper hospital. The nurses rush around the scene, trying to be of use. A guilty feeling overwhelms me. "How could you hurt him? What did he do to you?"

"He's just some faceless. It doesn't matter." Dum's words rush through me, piercing my heart. _'__Anyway, that maid, as I said, is a faceless. She isn't as important as Gray, Julius, or I.' Nightmare said that on my second day here, yet I doubted him. Why did I doubt him? In Wonderland, faceless aren't regarded as substantial as role holders. They aren't important. They're considered insignificant.  
Whether they live or die, nobody cares._

"I see now." I titter darkly, my head bowed down. "You guys are pretty much... monsters, huh?"

"Reese—" Elliot starts, sounding as broken as I'm feeling but Blood stops him, just like he always does. _Is it always that routine?_ Dee and Dum have become mute, unable to meet my scrutiny. The ticking stops; I almost don't notice it, but the second I do notice I start to run. I escape the scene of the crime, the _mafia_, and I leave behind whatever piece of sanity I lost in that time frame.

Somewhere, off in the distance, the clock strikes one.

* * *

**AN: *** = I'm not sure who it was that liked axes, and who liked grenades... This is not as good as I'd hoped. I'll probably change things later. As another note, I've finally made 101+ reviews! I love reviewing, and the DnKnA OP movie is on Youtube. Go watch it!


	9. Ace of Hearts

I've been reading through my diary for a while now. I had only just remembered it was even in my bag. As it turns out, I was a really spunky kid. Carefully, I use my fingernails to turn the pages, fearing some of the dried up blood might smear across the pages. That'd be absolutely vulgar.

I don't know how long it's been since I've come into contact with the role holders—scratch that. I don't know how long it's been since I've come into contact with _anyone_. The time has been varying between day, night, sunset, dawn, you name it. _It'd be nicer if I weren't so alone, but I do suppose this is what I get for overreacting._ I pause and worry my lower lip.

_Was I **really** overreacting, though? That was a very strange experience indeed. I hope that faceless man is okay. I must visit him in the hospital soon... it must've been at least a day or so since the incident._ I clutch my head in exasperation. _**Argh!**__ But what will I do when I see the twins again? Or Elliot or Blood? Surely they'll think me a criminal. I almost killed someone on their property, faceless or not._

Sighing, I curl my knees to my chest and stuff away my journal. My phone slides out of the bag, the screen lit up. It emits a small beeping noise and I gasp, grabbing the item to check. _I'm right… I got another message!_ With a ray of hope shining in my darkened heart, I check to see who it's from. "Katie… She texted me again?" I went back to my previous messages to confirm. It was definitely Katie. Once again I read the message to myself.

"Reese? I never heard back from you! It's been forever since we talked, and I haven't seen you back home yet. You don't plan on staying in England forever, do you? It's so gloomy there. Then again, they have 1D there. Oh! My little sister says hi. Text me already, girl! – Katie"

I sigh in relief, the phone almost slipping from my hand. I stand up and walk forward to check my reception. _Can I even send a message from here?_ I type in a lame response, but as long as the message can send, I don't mind. _Maybe I can ask Katie to report a missing person's report so I can get out of this crazy world-land place._

I wait in anticipation for the message to go through, as the screen keeps saying it's sending. Finally I get the memo 'Message sent!' and I squeal in pure joy. "This is the first good thing that's happened here!" Revived and roarin' to go, I collect my bag and set off for wherever the nonexistent path takes me. I ran from the Hatter's mansion to the middle of nowhere. I guess I was a little too upset to pay attention to where I was going.

Realizing I must have gone too far, I break into a jog and start my way back. In the meantime, I continuously check my phone to see if Katie got back to me yet. Unfortunately, she doesn't respond and I focus on the task at hand. _Where should I go now?_ I feel a visit to the tower is in order.

After what I estimate to have been thirty minutes in real-world time, I finally come to the Clover Tower. I knock on the door, hoping to see Nightmare or Gray answer. Conversely, nobody comes to my aid and I grow tired of waiting outside. I step inside, seeing virtually nobody in sight. I hear footsteps on some levels above me and my smile brightens.

"Nightmare?" I yell, cupping my hands to my mouth to amplify the sound. I hear no other noise, so I decide to investigate. I sprint up the stairs, getting a semi-good workout, and arrive make my way through the unfamiliar halls. "Hello?" I try again, but once more nobody answers. I do, however, hear more noise nearby. Eagerly, I creak open the door and tiptoe inside, unable to make out the figure sitting at the table ahead. _Curse my visionary issues!_

I sneak up to the figure, grinning like a madman. Without making much noise, I yell out and slap my hands across the person's face. They fall back in the chair, bellowing in fright. I start laughing uncontrollably, clutching at my sides.

"Oh, man! Gray, you're such a wuss!" The man grunts in reply, rubbing the back of his now-bruised head. A second later I meet his petrifying glare and realize that it's not Gray_._

"J-J-Juli—"

"What do you think you're doing in here?" The man demands before I get my chance to apologize. I shrink back, entirely flustered in my mistake. "I don't remember hearing you knock."

Nervously, I look to the door as though it'd give me an answer, and I try to speak. "Well, I thought you were someone else… I'm really sorry, Julius." He gives a grunt and stands up, bringing the chair with him.

"Hmph. You really are such a troublesome woman. Now, unless you have business with me, I would prefer you to leave." Ashamed, I bow my head and nod timidly in understanding.

"R-right…" Before I turn to leave, I take a good look of his office and smile a bit. The room is pretty full with papers, notes, and blueprints. It's also crowded with clocks. Loads and _loads_ of clocks. I look at the table and see a whole ton of them, just laying around, as well as one that looked to be disassembled. "So you really are a clockmaker, hmm? Or clock-fixer, depending on how you look at 's really cool!"

Julius regards me with inquisitiveness and seats himself back down, slipping on his glasses. Taking in his silence as a will to continue I look more at his work. The desk he's working at doesn't seem too organized at the moment, but everything else seems to have some level of organization to it. Things finally click in my head. Julius, The Workaholic. Chapter one: his life in a nutshell.

I smile dumbly at the blue-haired man and stand in place, posing an annoyance to him. Without even looking up from the clock beneath his hands he gruffly asks, "Yes?"

"Oh, nothing! I was just observing. I mean it's ironic. This world is obsessed with time, sort of, but there's no sense of it here. Just take a look at the days and nights, you know?" Seeing he wasn't very impressed by my small-talk, I bashfully turn away. "I'm not making much sense. Don't mind me."

I know I should be leaving, but the way he works is almost fascinating. He's very delicate in his work, fiddling with the vital parts of the clock to get it to move again. As silently as I can, I pull out a nearby chair and move to the side of the table, eyes fixated on his hands and the disassembled clock. He makes no effort to protest; I determine that he's probably too busy to notice.

All of my worries dissolve into some other morning's troubles as I lay on the unused section of the table, my brown eyes half-lidded in serenity. Finally Julius takes a break as the time changes to afternoon, and the matte cerulean rays of sunlight from the sunrise melt away. I almost don't hear him when he does decide to address me.

"What happened to your hands?" I pale and shove my still-stained hands under the desk, furiously wiping away at the chips of blood clinging to my tan skin.

"I…" I frown and realize I can't bring myself to lie. "I had a little bit of a struggle with someone." Raising an eyebrow, he wordlessly prods me on. "It involves the, uh, 'Bloody Twins' and a certain knife of theirs. I accidentally hit a man when they blindfolded me and tried to teach me how to throw knifes." Shamefully, I lower my head and stop rubbing at my arms.

I hear Julius breathe, as though about to speak, when the door opens. In comes Nightmare, tears threatening to cascade down his ghostly white cheeks. Alarmed, I stand up and rush over. "Dude, what's the matter with you?" He gasps for air, digging his fingers into my shoulder.

"Do-don't let Gray get me!" I stop, my arms falling limp to my sides.

"Eh?"

Gray then comes bursting in, his amber eyes narrowed. Nightmare jumps and pushes me in front of him, as though I were a sacrificial offering. From behind us, Julius lets out a low growl and pries the incubus off of me.

"What did you do now?" He inquires, scolding the poor silver haired man now in a fetal position on the floor. He sends Gray an apprehensive look before swallowing and answering quietly.

"I wouldn't let him take me to the doctor's office…" Confused, I rub my chin but Julius rolls his eyes.

"Why am I not surprised?"

"Why won't you go to the doctor, though?" I ask, shrugging my shoulders. Nightmare looks at me, horrified.

"I don't want to get a shot! Doctors' offices and hospitals are terrifying places!" I snort in contempt, waving him off.

"You've got to be kidding me! You're at least taking medicine to help get rid of your illness faster, right?" He shakes his head in response and I sigh, rubbing my temples.

"You better not get me sick, you mind-invading little creep—"

Gray takes his attention off the wimpy little hobo and sees my messy fingers. "Miss, what happened to your hands?" I freeze again, feeling even worse. Julius takes heed of my tenseness and, surprisingly enough, offers to speak for me.

"She had a little trouble at the Hatter's mansion earlier." Alarmed, Gray takes my hands and inspects them.

"They didn't hurt you, did they?" Nightmare asks, and I remember the wall I conjured in my mind before. _That's right. It made it harder for him to read my thoughts. _

"Nah. I may be mentally scarred for life, but that's cool. No biggie."

Gray shoots me a worrying look right before he returns to chewing out Nightmare. Scratching at my cheek, which just so happens to be becoming a habit of mine, I turn again to Julius. "Is there a bathroom nearby? I'd like to wash off this… stuff before I get questioned anymore." He nods and offers to lead the way. Eagerly, I take it. As amusing as it is to see Nightmare being reduced to a little scardey-cat, I want to try to head to Heart Castle again. _Hopefully Peter won't run into me and go all crazy like last time. He said he wanted to bring Alice back here... what an awful, selfish man. _Confusion hammers away at my head. _Wait, why am I so concerned with his affairs? How odd._

Stepping through the door again, Julius leads the way and I clasp my hands behind my back. The button-up shirt conforming to my torso and the slacks hanging over my legs bounce with my step, and I grimace for the billionth time today. _I still didn't return this. Which means I have to travel back to the mansion sometime soon to give it back and get my own clothes from Blood. Gosh darnit. _Tossing away my worries I shoot a gleeful smile at my companion.

"So. How do you like the tower? It's pretty fancy, eh? I'm really digging the theme of the place." I'm eternally grateful for his participation in this particular discussion.

"I don't mind living here, although having to share the place with Nightmare and Gray isn't exactly pleasing…" He groans, and I can almost imagine the sneer on his face as he speaks. "I preferred living alone."

"You mean you lived elsewhere?"

"In a sense, yes. Back in the Country of Hearts, I took residence in the Clock Tower. I had it all to myself, at least until Alice arrived." I held back my bout of fangirling and hurried my pace to match his.

"Clock Tower?" I ask thoughtfully, fully intrigued on getting to know the place more.

"Yes. As I said, in the Country of Hearts, I had the Clock Tower all to myself. Then when everyone moved to the Country of Clovers, I stayed behind and Nightmare and Gray took my place in the Clover Tower. Finally we moved again and now that door we passed through links the two towers, so that I may rejoin everyone. Needless to say, it pleased Alice, so I supposed I don't mind. Now that she's gone, though…" he trails off, sounding a little disoriented. I'm awfully surprised by his care for Alice, though. I generally thought he was reserved.

"Ah… I'm sorry, but what do you mean by moving from country to country?"

"It's just as described. Within Wonderland are different countries: Country of Hearts, Country of Clovers, so on and so forth."

"I see!" I bellow, clapping. "That's actually very neat. I thought Wonderland was limited to… well, this country. Although my world is definitely larger, Wonderland sounds big." He nods. I look ahead and see a familiar flash of long, curly blonde hair. I call out to the woman in question and she turns around, mouth turned down in an obvious frown.

"Oh, great. It's the infamous outsider. Come back to lug me around some more?" I laugh, shaking my head. Beside me, Julius coughs into his hand.

"I suppose I should be getting back, now. I'm sure she'll help you find your way. Goodbye, Miss...?" I shiver a little. _Him sounding so formal is just not... **right**, in a sense. Much too forced._

"Just call me Reese," I say politely, offering a warming smile. He nods and turns away. Victoria scoffs and leads me off, somehow figuring out that I was in need of a bathroom.

"So, what's shakin', bacon?" Victoria shrugs in response while shuffling the stack of papers in her hands. I walk along my tiptoes and peek over her shoulder, seeing it's business papers. _Probably for Nightmare, that slacker._

"Not much. I'm really bored, but I'll get over it. What are you doing back here?"

"Escaping insanity." She laughs dryly, tossing a curly lock of hair over her shoulder.

"You'll not have much luck with that here. It's a madhouse, in case you haven't noticed. Where are you headed after this?"

I beam, "Heart Castle. I'm looking forward to meeting with Her Majesty again, though I do hope she doesn't force me into another tea party. I'm getting awfully sick of those." I pretend to gag and earn a laugh from my friend. She hands me half of the stack and orders me to assist until we reach our destination. Finally we arrive at the bathroom and I step inside, observing my disheveled appearance. My hair is a tangled mess, but I suppose I'll run through it with my fingers a while later. I quickly scrub my arms clean, leaving no trace of the mess anywhere on my skin.

Once I finish, I pull back and freshen up, suddenly more conscious of my form. I exit the bathroom, feeling rejuvenated, and meet up with Victoria again. In the meantime, she's already delivered her papers.

"Want me to escort you again?" I open my mouth to decline when I recall my recent run-in with Peter. I'm not oblivious to the fact that Victoria also has a weapon in possession. _If worse comes to worst, I suppose I can always ask her for some help_.

"Um… sure! That'd be great." I feign a smile and we walk back the way we came. I'm vaguely surprised to see that the three role holders are still cooped up in Julius's room, arguing about something trivial, I'll bet.

"Mr. Gottschalk?" I call above the ruckus. He stops mid-sentence and turns to me expectantly.

"Leaving so soon?"

"Aye. Victoria is going to take me to the Castle, if you don't mind." Suddenly Nightmare pounces, looking ready to tackle me. I jump back in fright and he winds up grabbing hold of my leg. "What are you doing?!"

He wails, wrapping his limb body around my leg. "Don't leave me alone with these two! They're really mean!"

I shake my leg, wobbling a bit, and send a hopeful glance to Gray. He sighs and stomps forward, looking like an angry mother. Effortlessly, he hauls Nightmare away by his collar and beings lecturing him. I take this chance to make my great escape, but not before thanking Julius for his help. As I leave, I swore I could hear him muttering something in reply.

Bounding down the steps of the tower, I relish in the fresh air, feeling the sun's welcoming rays beating down on my chilled skin. Victoria and I set down the destined path, chatting happily. I told her my experiences thus far, earning some alarmed responses with my latest 'adventures', but I quickly reassured her. Of course, by the time we headed up the ridiculously large mountain-cliff thing to get into the maze, I quieted down. For a few moments I suspect she's finally turned back to run off to the tower and fulfill her duties. Somewhat relieved that she now won't be in trouble for trespassing (since she's already left), I continue on by myself and begin to mutter to the still air.

"Sir Ace must be around here somewhere…" I mumble, my eyes flickering back and forth. Victoria turns to me, a little bead of sweat rolling down her olive cheek.

"You think?"

"No… I know."

We enter the maze, clinging to the right-hand side as I did before. As we round a corner, I stop and Victoria runs right into my back, cursing in protest. _Wait a second... Victoria...?_

"What are you—" she's cut off by me, naturally.

"What are you still doing here?!" I nearly shout, pushing her backwards. She takes my wrists and mimics my movement, shoving me against a prickly hedge.

"I'm escorting you, idiot!"

"You could get killed! This is a territory at war!"

"What's it matter?" I stamp my foot.

"_Victoria!" _I whine, pushing against the resisting force of her hands.

"Oh get over yourself!" She hisses, now trying to drag me forward through the remainder of the maze. I kick and shout, but otherwise make no effort to free myself from her iron grip. I should've been more aware of my obnoxiously loud caterwauling, because as I would soon find out, I made our presence very known to the guards and soldiers of the castle.

Without warning, while I groan about my feet hurting from the hike, a bullet whizzes past my head, just cutting a fraction of a strand of my hair off. I become petrified, and so does Victoria, and we both slowly turn to see the attacker. _I should've known!_

"Haha, what are you doing, Reese? You shouldn't let people kidnap you, you know!" I come face to face with Ace's striking red eyes. He peers down at me, gloved hands set firmly on his hips. The bullet seemed to have come from one of the soldiers in the group behind him.

"Do you always have to have a group of people to lead you from place to place?" I huff arrogantly, squirming away from him. In rebellion, he smirks and leans in even closer; he's so close I can feel the stupidity and heat radiating off him.

"Hmm…?" Ace observes my unnerved cohort and smiles even sunnier. "A maid from the tower? So you must have trouble getting around by yourself as well!"

"No, I—"

"Come on, I want to show you something." Without even letting me finish, Ace scoops me up like a puppy dog and carries me off in the direction from which I just came, much against my will. Victoria squeals and shudders among the circle forming against her. I panic, seeing the soldiers draw their little spears and whatnot, awaiting orders to probably execute her on the spot.

"Wait a second, she's not an enemy!" I yell over Ace's shoulder, pushing his head as far away from me as it can go. One of the men hears my plea and lowers his weapon, questioning.

"Pardon?"

"Go take her safely to the Queen, and tell her I ask that her life be spared!" Victoria surrenders her weapon and dignity, raising her hands in utter defeat. The card I'm corresponding with nods briskly, rehearsing the information to the other men. Compliantly, they march in step to the castle with their new prisoner guarded inside the ring. Even without eyes, I can pretty much see the fear and slight resentment in Victoria's expression, and I quickly mouth my apology before we both turn corners, now out of each other's sight.

Now without distractions, I curl back into Ace's chest (totally out of my control, by the way) and cross my arms. Ace glances down, laughing in an annoying manner.

"Aww, you look mad! What's up?"

I poke his cheek with my fingernail. "You interrupted me! I was trying to see Her Majesty and of course you decide to show up and stop me. Where are we even going?"

"We're going to hang out!"

"'Hang out'?"

"Yeah. I'm supposed to be guarding the entrance to the castle or something. I wasn't going to, but now that you're here, it'll be a lot funner!" I hiss and repeatedly bash against his chest. _This might've been a lot more effective had I the ability to cuss. _Ignoring my weak rally, he finally sets me down in a clearing right by the entrance to the maze.

At last, he sets me down and I toss my backpack a few feet away, choosing to flop against the cool grass; all signs of my revolt have faded away. I mutter into the grass in my dejected state, "You're making me lay out here for a few hours just because you have no friends?"

He laughs again, heartily. "That's so mean! I do have friends, though, like Alice and Julius." I raise my head a little.

"The clockmaker?"

"Yep!"

"I thought you just bothered him. I didn't think you two were actually friends..." I let the topic go and bury my face once more into the ground. I'm probably staining my suit and face in the process, but we'll let that slide for now.

Noticing the absence of Ace's voice or laughter, I take a few minutes to revel in the silence before looking up, completely startled to see him gazing at me in admiration? _No, that's not it. It's more of a sinister look._ I shudder and wave it off—Ace isn't a scary guy. Seeing I'm up again, he flashes his pearly white teeth.

"Hey, I'm kind of tired."

"Join the club," I rumble, stretching my long arms into the afternoon sun. I fail to notice the knight crawling towards me.

"We should take a nap together, then!" He suggests, pushing me back down. I yelp out and fall back, my clothes billowing out on the grass. My bangs fall across my forehead, some strands poking at my eye. I shake them away and squint up at Ace's gloomy figure hovering above me. My heart begins to race as that look crosses his handsome features once more, and I fully expect some sort of sexual harassment but his next decision really does confuse me.

In one swift movement, he snakes his hands to grab my back and thrusts his head downwards, landing his left ear directly over my chest. Perplexed, I attempt to prop my upper body up onto my elbows but to no avail. He snuggles further into my loose shirt, wrinkling it, and says some things in a hushed tone.

"Ace," I say quietly. I disguise the ire in my voice, though he probably wouldn't detect it anyway.

"Mm?" He mumbles into my chest. I grab a fistful of his cropped brown hair and force his head up, so I can meet his blood-red eyes. "Less touching, more guarding."

For a moment he looks a little sad but then his happy demeanor reveals itself once more. "But you said you were tired! I want to take a nap."

"You don't have to lay on me, you big throw-rug!"

"You make a good pillow," he adds. I don't know whether I should receive it as a compliment or not. Not bothering to listen to my banter, he rests his head on me again and I give up, falling back with a thud. I ignore the throbbing sensation in the back of my head and try to relax. _Just... think of Ace as a puppy. A giant, somewhat perverted puppy. Yeah, that works._

Slowly, but surely, sleep takes the best of me and I succumb to it, my vision fading while Ace breathes softly in the background. It makes to be a nice noise, I think. _Maybe this isn't so bad after all! So much for guarding the entrance, though._ I grin, easing into the soft grass as it tickles the sides of my face and weaves its way between my hair. _I'm sure Vivaldi, Peter, Victoria, and Five will understand._

In the background, a little ways away, beeps my cell phone. It beeps and beeps and beeps, as though calling for my attention. Lured in by exhaustion, sleep gets to me first.

* * *

**AN:** I'm so exhausted. Help.


	10. Non-Amusement Park

**AN:** I'd like to remind everyone that Reese still does not know that in Wonderland, people have hearts for clocks. That'll be important, somewhat, in this story.

* * *

_"_1, 2, step!_" _I jump, instead, earning a giggle from my brother and sister. "1, 2, jump!_" _I step forward, utterly befuddled by my own body's movements. My brother strides up, hands shoved in his pants pocket. "For being such an awkward child, you don't really stand out in a crowd," he states, ruffling my hair. I grunt and raise my small arms to stop the brutal teasing. My sister snickers and joined in the fun, pulling on my hair from behind.

"Kids, time for dinner!" At the sound of my mother's call, we all freeze in our play and sprint over to the picnic table, shoving and pushing to get the best seat. I'm last to arrive, as my brother tripped me. Begrudgingly, I jog over to the table and listen to the fallen leaves crunching beneath my tiny feet. My older brother and sister haul me onto the bench and we each take a sandwich laid out, giving our thanks.

It's a warm autumn afternoon though I know it's a memory within my dreams. Instead of having another out-of-body experience as I did before in my guest room at the amusement park, I can feel that I've taken refuge in my own child-like body. _I remember this picnic! It was wonderful._

The golden fireflies now appear in the midst of the forest. My mother sets down her food a moment and smiles, first speaking to my sister. "How was your day?"

"Awesome. I learned how to do a cartwheel!" She gloats in pride, puffing out her little chest. My mother then moves on to my brother.

"And you?"

"Eh, my day was pretty lame. I hate being outdoors." We laugh together and agree with him. I nibble soundlessly on my sandwich, being left out again. I remember having the feeling rather often.

_It's not that I was too young to talk at the time of this precious memory, or that I couldn't produce the words right, but rather they never asked me how my day was_. _Then again,_ _It's something I'd gotten used to, so I didn't mind very much. I knew my family cared about me and if they remembered, they'd ask how my day was going. The effort is all that mattered to me, back then._

"Ah," says my mother suddenly. She covers her mouth with her hand for a second to chew. She swallows her food and smiles gaily again, turning to the far end of the table. "_Alice, _how was your day?"

I gape in horror and awe as I lean over to see past my brother's figure; sitting at the end of the table _is _Alice, with her usually long hair now barely falling past her shoulders. Her bow's smaller, too, and her dress is more complicated than before. Her eyes shine, bigger and brighter than I'd ever seen them before.

Instead of answering the question, she just smiles back and hums. I fall back and land in a pile of leaves, frightened by this turn of events. _What's __**she**__ doing here?! _Alice hops off her seat and walks over to me, still cheery.

"You…!" My squeaky voice fades out before I could finish my sentence.

"I what?" She asks, her own voice deeper than it should be for a little girl. I shake my head and blink a few times, watching as her body morphs into that of a teenager. I find myself looking up into the present day Alice's face, glistening with genuine concern.

"Reese?" She calls again feebly, crouching down. Something dawns on me in that moment. I swallow and hear some foreign words slipping from my mouth a moment later.

"Alice… what have you done?"

-;

I yell out in fright, my heart beating erratically in my chest. My fuzzy vision deluded me for a moment or so, causing me to think I was still in the bizarre dream and I take time to recover. Sitting up, I hear something fall into the grass and I rub at my eyes, trying to get them to adjust to the night sky. Looking around I see that it really was just a dream, thank goodness. _Nothing more than a silly hallucination within a distant memory._ The dream tugs at my heartstrings, reminding me of my family. My brain reconnects and I furrow my eyebrows. _So, Alice **did** come in my dream tonight! Argh, I shouldn't have woken up. There's so much we need to talk about. _I sigh, figuring that might've been my last change to contact her for a while.

I hear someone breathing beside me and I squeak, scooting back to see Ace's lean figure curling into the wet, dewy grass. He smiles in his sleep, obviously having a better night's sleep than I. I look out into the country in its dazzling beauty; it's like Nightlife in the 'Country of Hearts'. I can see the tower from this spot on the cliff, lit up like a firecracker. The Amusement Park is looking lively; I can almost hear the screams of terror and delight. Hatter's Mansion is lit up, too, and I have no doubt that he's having another silly little tea party. In the weird forest is Joker's Circus, also fairly colorful this fine evening. I sigh and stand up, stretching my aching limbs. Nonchalantly, I kick Ace and hold my hands to my waist. He jolts, flipping over to meet my stern gaze.

"Hmm?"

"Wake up, sleeping beauty. We need to get to the castle and stat!" I recover my bag, briefly wondering if my phone had gone off before I fell asleep. _Ah well, it doesn't seem to be beeping anymore now._ Ace pouts, ruffling his shaggy brown hair. He lumbers over to me, wiping away the trace of sleep from his eyes.

"Why the rush? We were having fun!"

"Are you _kidding?_" I ask incredulously, slinging my bag over my shoulder. "I need to make sure Victoria's head is still on her shoulders. Also, in case you haven't noticed, we slept on the job. Vivaldi is sure to behead me, now…" I gingerly press my fingers to my neck, swallowing, while Ace gives a dumb bout of laughter.

"Aw, I don't think she'll do that!" He says reassuringly, clapping me on the back. I jut out my bottom lip, very doubtful.

"What makes you say that?"

He scratches his chin and looks up at the sky. "You remind her too much of Alice, and she'd never lay a finger on Alice!" I scoff, turning a little red in the cheeks.

"Oh, of course. It's comforting to know that the only reason I'm alive is because I bear a slight resemblance to a girl I knew for a length of, what, six hours in total?" Ace offers a smile, but nothing more, and we set off into the maze. Halfway through we discover Five, who's looks to have been frantically scouring the vicinity for something.

"Yo, Five!" I call, my mood light again. His head snaps toward our direction and he pales, rushing over to us.

"Miss, Sir Ace! Where have you been?" Taken aback, Ace and I exchange a confused glance and turn back to the hysterical guard.

"What do you mean?" I ask, crossing my arms. Five turns, beckoning us to follow, and sets off to towards Castle. I struggle to keep his pace, my feet aching from walking so much in the past few days. Ace, however, seems brighter than a fluorescent colored crayon.

"Her Majesty has been searching all over for the two of you. You weren't at your workplaces." I frown, objecting.

"Yes we were! Vivaldi said for us to guard the maze, right?"

Five sighs, shaking his head. "No, she wanted you to guard the _Castle gates_! Oh, we better just get you to the Castle. Maybe we can be spared…" he grumbles, trudging off. Dejectedly, I blunder after him and try not to be too much of a downer, with Ace behind me. As we near the throne room, I practice apologies in my head, but they all sound lame and inexcusable. Finally we arrive before the Queen and I immediately bow, chanting out some odd plea. In the meantime, the entire room quiets down and watches me in bemusement.

"Furthermore, Your Majesty, I—"

Vivaldi chuckles heartily, her fingernail tracing her luscious red lips. I stop and look up, a bead of sweat rolling down my cheek. Waiting for her response, I hold back my next few words and stand up tall, ready to face whatever punishment may or may not befall me. Suddenly, half her face rises in a lazy smile.

"We are very pleased to see that you're a responsible young woman, unlike this unabashed knight," she glares at Ace for a fraction of a second before looking at me again. I smile half-heartedly.

I hear a familiar shout of anger reverberate in the room and I turn to see a little blond being led like a prisoner into the middle of the room. Victoria and the guards stop before us. I begin to speak, only to be cut off by the angered maid.

"What took you so long?" I raise my hands in defense, stepping away from her annoyed form.

"W-well, we wound up taking a quick nap…" I mumble, looking to Ace for help. He laughs, slinging an arm onto my shoulder.

"Haha, yeah! It was really fun!"

From the Queen's side Peter snorts. "Sleeping on the job, eh? Why am I not surprised." Caught in the middle of the mess, I slip a hand over my flushed face.

"Enough!" Vivaldi hisses, tapping the bottom of her heel onto the platform she sat upon. Everyone kept quiet again. "Now, Knight, we shall deliver your punishment later." She then looks at me kindly. "As for you, come up here and join us." Obediently, I escort myself to the throne, standing on the side opposite of Peter.

"Now," Vivaldi continues. "You must be starving, poor child. Do not fret; we shall feed you." She gives a nearby maid a knowing look and the girl scurries off to what I presumed to be the kitchen. Graciously, I bow again and watch as Victoria is also led up to our rendezvous on the balcony. Upon her entrance, Vivaldi tilts her head.

"So, would this be your acquaintance?" I nod vigorously, still wary of the fact that she may choose to behead us any given moment. Instead, she just hums, "Spending time with a faceless. How peculiar." Sighing in relief, I wipe off the beats of sweat on my forehead, grossly smearing it onto my grass-stained clothes. _Whoops._

Five coughs and joins me at my side. "You're looking rather different today. Any particular reason?"

"Nah. I wanted a bit of revenge, so I borrowed it from Hatter's mansion."

"I see…"

I fidget under Peter's scrutinizing gaze from the opposite side before a beep interrupts my thoughts. I turn bright red as everyone turns to me. _Oh, no. I can't just blow off the Queen for a dumb text message! _"What was that?" Ace asks, poking my bag on my back. I bite my lip.

Victoria snuffs after him. "Well? Aren't you going to see what it is?" I give her a look.

"What for?" Nobody answers.

Keeping quiet, I slowly remove my bag from my back and fumble through it, searching for my phone. As I retrieve it, I give my sincerest apologies to the Queen for the rude behavior. She lets it slide and everyone waits in anticipation for me to see what I've received.

Opening the text message, my face pales and I hang my head in gloom. Five frowns, speaking to me. "Is there something wrong?"

Woefully I answer, "It's just the dumb bill for the phone!" Unsure of how to answer, the room stays quiet once more.

I'm not surprised to find Victoria asking the question on everyone's mind. "Erm… what's a phone?" I flip the small, black object in my hand and roll my eyes.

"It's actually a cellphone. Basically it's this tiny object from my world that allows people to communicate to each other, even if they're far away. You can call someone, where you're talking to them from a short or long distance away, or you can 'text', where you write out whatever you want to say and it'll send the message to the other person's phone. It's like sending letters through a small, electronic device."

Vivaldi beckons me forth and I show her my cell, pointing at the buttons. "See? There are little letter keys that you press if you want to text and then," I pull back and open my contacts, showing her the list. "You press this green call button to speak with them on the phone."

The Queen takes the device, fascinated by its functions. "We find this item to be spectacular…" she suddenly fumes, glaring at random people before her. "How come we do not have such a useful tool? Make one, immediately!"

"B-but, Your Majesty, we don't have those sorts of resources—" Her eyes narrow even more and the talking card soldier jumps, feigning a smile. "R-right. We'll get right on it, Your Majesty…"

"Good," Vivaldi croons, handing me back my cellphone. I unhappily stuff it in my bag again. Ace taps his finger to his bottom lip in curiosity.

"How do you keep contact with your world, though? That's really weird!" I stop, pondering the situation myself. Suddenly I come up with my own theory.

"Well it's similar to a show I remember watching before!" Everyone gathers around, interested. "So basically this kid was kidnapped from his home one night and taken to a special school where he could practice his abilities," I pause. "He could see things before they happened. Anyway at the school he and his friends realized the constellations were off, and it didn't even seem like they were anywhere in or near the United States. So, like, this kid freaks out and they try to figure out where in the world they ended up and eventually he found a way to call home, and his mom answered and wished him a happy birthday and it was weird. In summary, even though he was like nowhere near his home, and had absolutely no idea what was going on, he was able to contact his family, wherever they are. I guess the same voodoo-hoodoo is happening here." I take a breath, rubbing my chest while letting the information sink in.

"That's still strange..." Victoria murmurs, eyeing my bag with great suspicion. "If I were you, I wouldn't try to contact anyone from your world from now on."

I look at her, bewildered. "Wait, why—"

"We see you are rather parched." Vivaldi says smoothly, gently probing my stomach with her scepter. It growls in return and I laugh awkwardly.

"Um... I guess I am?" The queen nods, snapping her fingers. Immediately, the guards stand by, waiting for their orders.

"Take this outsider to the dining hall. We shall not see her starved in our domain." I give my thanks and, as a group, we all leave the throne room to go eat. Peter sulks beside me, his right ear twitching every so often. I must admit, after our last encounter, I'm also less than enthusiastic to be next to him. Suddenly he turns to me.

"You're looking unusually glum." He says simply as we enter the dining room. I puff, crossing my arms again. We take our seats at the long table, and I ogle at the beautiful table pieces and the setup. The place mats were perfectly symmetrical and the plates were shining. I could practically see my reflection in the dishes. A waitress gestures for me to take a seat, and everyone else does the same. I look around.

"Is Viv—I mean, _the Queen_, joining us?" Five shook his head, apprehensively taking his seat on the other side of me.

"Perhaps some other time," he explains. We all say our thanks and begin to chow down. I stuff food onto my plate, a stupid grin spreading across my face. Diagonal from me sits Victoria, watching me like a hawk with her eyeless face. As I tear through my food she clears her throat haughtily. I stop chewing and look up.

"Mm?"

"Don't you have _any _manners?" She inquires, dabbing at her mouth with her napkin. I shrug, genuinely unsure of whether or not I could produce any sort of etiquette when I'm this hungry. I polish off my plate well before the others look to be finished, so I sit in silence and try not to stare. Finally, Peter finishes his meal and shoves the plate away, standing up quickly. I look between him and my own empty plate before finally making a decision.

"I'm done, too! Bye guys!" Victoria gapes, probably trying to find a way to yell at me again but this time I make it out of the room before she can say anything. As I race down the hallway to catch up with the moody rabbit, hold up my pants so I don't trip, somehow. "Yo, Peter! Wait up!" He continues walking, blatantly ignoring me and my protests. At last I reach him before he arrives at his room. Acting quickly, I barricade myself between him and the door.

"_What_ do you _want_."

I pant, my feet still hurting from doing so much walking and running. "I... I think you and I need to talk."

He tries to reach the doorknob but I slap my elbow over it, glaring now. Several attempts to remove me from his door later, he finally slaps his hand to his forehead and again asks of my business with him.

"You're not really going to try and kidnap Alice, are you?" He freezes, his red eyes slowly widening, as though he just remembered our last conversation.

"What, are you going to try and stop me?" He sneers, patting his pocket watch. I wince, knowing of its ability to transform into a gun, but this time I stand my ground.

"You know she'll hate you forever, right?" I reposition myself as he searches for anyway through my body to his door.

"No she won't! Clearly, you don't know anything of our relationship." I roll my eyes. _I know a lot more than you think._ I call back to the memory of my first time visiting the Castle, where Alice guided me through the paths._ 'But don't be too harsh, okay? I-I mean he's annoying, but he can be tolerable at times.'_ _Argh. Curse you, Alice!_ Softening my tone I think of my next words.

"Okay, maybe I don't know anything about your so-called 'relationship'. But I really don't think she'd appreciate you committing such a selfish act!" I close my eyes, unable to look him in the eyes. "From what I've gathered, Alice left for a very good reason, and if you bring her back here, she'll hate you. She'll hate you and probably everyone else, too. I don't think she'd be happy. If you claim to love her so much, wouldn't you want what's best for her?" My voice cracks on the final note and I sigh, peeling open my eyes. Peter blinks excessively, his glasses shining a few times as daybreak hits Wonderland, immersing it in light.

After what seems like forever, he shakes his head and readjusts his glasses to sit on the bridge of his nose. Looking down, his silky white hair falls over his face. "Fine. I suppose you're right, to an extent. She wouldn't be very pleased if I dragged her back here." _Thank heavens._

"Good... I guess I'll leave you alone, now." I step away, feeling accomplished, but he starts talking again as I walk away, rendering me unable to move.

"I just wanted her to love me..." I turn back, feeling a little sad at his miserable state. _Maybe... he thought he had the best intentions for her? _

"Ahem." I cough, approaching him carefully. "You know what? We kind of got off on the wrong foot. I'd very much like to try again?" I thrust out my hand, my smile softening in admiration. He looks up at me in awe, an expression I'd never imagine on him. _If only I could whip out my camera... _"I'm Reese, the new 'foreigner'. And you?"

Dubiously, he stretches out his gloved hand to meet mine and gives a firm shake. "Peter. Peter White." I give a nod of approval and retract my hand, setting it on my hip.

"Nice to meet you! I hope we can become friends. There, now was that so difficult?" I tease, causing him to blink in response. "Well, you look to be busy so I'll be leaving now. Talk to you later, Peter!" I set off into a jog down the hall, waving back at him. He gives the smallest of waves back before retreating into his study. I suspect he'll be washing off his hand later, but I don't personally mind.

Before I take my leave of the Castle, I search for Victoria and Five. _Ah, poor Five! I wanted to hang out with him... if only stupid Ace hadn't have kept me with him. How embarrassing. _I enter the throne room and request to see Vivaldi, to which the guards make the connections. Not a minute later did they permit me to see her, again leading me to her.

"Your Majesty," I acknowledge, curtsying. She dips her head in greeting and allows me to speak. "Where has Victoria gone? Ah—I mean the maid from the Tower."

"She has returned to her duties after we spared her life." A drop of sweat falls down my face as once more give my thanks for her graciousness. "Do not tell us you are leaving, too?"

I rub my arm shyly. "I would love to stay a while, Your Majesty, but I'm afraid I've yet to return to my room at the Amusement Park since I first established my home there."

After a moment or two, Vivaldi snuffs and says, "All right, then. I suppose we cannot force you to stay, though next time you come you will stay for at least two time turns." I nod, understanding the conditions.

"Thank you. Until next time, Your Majesty," I state softly, turning to leave. As I walk, she adds something else.

"Please, call us Vivaldi. No need to be so formal." I blush, grateful for the fact that nobody can see my face.

I quickly call over my shoulder. "Okay then... so long, Vivaldi!" With that, I exit the Castle and make my way to Gowland's Amusement Park.

Already knowing my way around, I make it in record time, and for once I'm not too offbeat. Strolling into the park is relatively simple, as the workers recognize my devilishly handsome face from before. Perusing through the park in search of its owner I spy a familiar, bouncing pair of mouse ears bobbing through the crowd.

"Pierce!" I shout, jumping up and down to catch his attention. _I'm surprised he comes here often... maybe he lives in the park, too? Or rather somewhere nearby...?_ Tracing my voice, he turns his head and breaks into a teary smile. I brace myself for impact as he charges forward, hands stretched out so he can scoop me up into a hug.

"Re-Reese!" He cries jubilantly, knocking me over. I wheeze, trying to take in as much oxygen as I possibly can but his Superman grip just isn't having any of it. Finally I resort to begging for mercy.

"Crushing... lungs... I see the light..." I whisper, squinting while gazing up at the blazing sun. He shudders, leaning up. His figure blocks out the sun and I notice his green eyes widening with worry.

"Oh, no! Here, let me kiss you!" That does it. I freeze momentarily before successfully fending off his incoming attack. Pressing the palm of my hand to his soft lips, I sit up and vigorously shake my head.

"What are you, crazy? I wanted a chance to breathe, not... slobbery CPR!" I retract my hand, inspecting it for germs. _Oh, gosh, I'm turning into Peter. Better stop now. _Pierce sends me a hurt look, fiddling his hands in his lap._  
_

"B-but I only wanted to help! So you won't let me kiss you?"

I scratch the back of my head. "That's a little too intimate for me, dude. Maybe if we got more acquainted or something..." I casually leave out the part that it'd be my first kiss, anyway. He suddenly beams, as though taking my suggestion seriously.

"Oi!" We turn our heads simultaneously. "Get off her, you filthy vermin." I sigh, tossing my head back in annoyance while poor Pierce squeals in fright. Using me as a shield, again, he crawls behind my back and cowers under his tiny hat. I stand up, leaving him no room to hide.

"Hey, Boris." I greet cheerfully. "And hey, Mr. Gowland! I was actually looking for you." The two men stop before us with Boris eyeing Pierce like he's his next dinner and Gowland offering me a handshake.

"Is that so? We've been waiting for you to come back!" He runs a hand over his stubbly chin. "You've been gone an awful long time, young lady. Find yourself a boyfriend or something?" I laugh, waving off the idea.

"Not in a million years! I wanted to apologize for being so absent. Especially after I asked to make this my temporary home." I throw a remorseful look at the two for a second. "I've just had a lot of things to deal with, lately."

Boris flicks his tail, his hands set haughtily on his narrow hips. "Losing all sense of time in Wonderland, hmm?" He leans down, flicking my forehead lightly. "About time you adjusted," the cat purrs teasingly. I huff, batting his hand away.

"Ha-ha, very funny. Anyway, what have you lot been up to?"

Gowland gestures around. "Maintaining my glorious creation, of course! This mangy cat's been slacking off." Boris purses his lips and mutters something in return, which becomes ignored by the park owner. "Say... you're in for a new set of clothes."

I take a quick look at my suit, having already explained the story to practically everyone else. _I **still **need to return these to Blood... _"I guess. I borrowed this from Mr. Mafia. I'll give it back, eventually." I cast my glance away, hoping to conceal my souring mood. Gowland adjusts his glasses.

"Why would you ever want to borrow something from that guy? We have plenty of clothes for you here!" With a snap, a few workers zoom on into the conversation, beholding different garments and spiffy outfits. Pierce raises himself from the ground, ogling.

"You'd look cute in that one!" He comments, pointing to a random set of clothes.

"Nobody was asking you, idiot!" Boris objects, causing the mouse-boy and I to flinch.

"Maybe she could just wear the woman's uniform..." Gowland says absently, and I observe one of the female employees. _Eh... it's okay, but a little too flashy for me. Besides, a pencil skirt might be a bit too much for right now! _

Another outfit is showed into my face by a faceless. "What about this one, Miss?"

"No, no, this one!"

"B-but this one would be really cute..." Pierce restates sadly, tugging on his favorite clothes for me. I gulp and yank at some invisible collar on my neck.

"Shut up rat!"

"Young lady, are you going to decide?"

"This one matches your eyes—" I shake, slapping my hands to my cheeks.

"**_Stop!_**" My miraculous shout rings throughout the park's entrance, and everyone within the vicinity stops and stares. I lower my hands slowly, breathing in and out. "Now... if you don't mind, I just want to relax a bit. After I return Mr. Dupre's suit and retrieve my own clothes, I'll choose another outfit to wear. Until then, let's just... be a little normal."

Quietly, an agreement ripples through the surrounding sea of people and I nod. Boris gives me an odd look, like he's trying to figure something out, before he smiles.

"Well if you want to relax, how about we do something fun?"

"Like what?" I ask very, very cautiously, vividly remembering the last incident with the Bloody Twins. _The twins are good friends with Boris, too... _I pinch my arm and my eye twitches in response. _Yes, this will be my new tactic for driving away super dumb thoughts._

"Like..." Boris fades off, thinking of some brilliant plan to cheer me up until Gowland cuts in.

"How about you help us test-drive the new and improved Tea Cup ride?" I blink a few times before shrugging.

"Sure! Why not?" Gently, Gowland takes my wrist and leads me away, with Boris and Pierce trailing a bit behind due to their incessant bickering. By the time we arrive at the new ride, I hesitate a bit.

"Uh... it says it's still 'Under Construction', so what gives?" Gowland gives me a look like I'm a blithering idiot.

"It's a test drive, you silly girl! Now get inside." He ushers our odd group into a tea cup and gives the signal for the faceless operator to start. He flips the switch and the ride lights up, playing funky music. I notice the layout of the ride and cozy on into my side of the cup, gripping the seat.

"So it's like a tilt-a-whirl, only with tea cups?" Gowland gives a thumbs up, plopping a cute and random yellow construction hat onto his head. The red light flashes like a little notifier and I stifle a giggle while Boris groans, slinging an arm over the side of the cup.

"Here we go!" Gowland shouts as the ride begins. It starts off slow, naturally, but I notice that the speed picks up rather quickly. The older man places his hands on the wheel in the center and grins up at me. "Come on, don't be shy!" Apprehensively, I mimic his movements and together we turn the wheel, spinning the cup around on its axis. Pierce shivers, gripping onto the rim of the cup like his life depended on it.

Suddenly I begin to shudder myself, feeling a little less than excited about the ride. I sit on the edge of the seat in order to get closer to the wheel. "G-Gowland, maybe this is going too fast..." I warn, my hands shaking against the wheel. Boris laughs at my reaction.

"Aw. Don't be scared! It's just some dumb ride." He assures, but I'm way less than confident.

"No, seriously! I don't think this is safe, and—" I hear a tiny crack and shut up, looking around. The others pass it off as virtually nothing but when the crack sounds again, only louder, they look at me in suspicion.

"What are you doing there?" Gowland asks curiously, still turning the wheel. I shake my head, not knowing myself where the weird sound is coming from. Suddenly he switches directions; the speed of his movements cause me to slam back into the side of the cup, and the crack turns into a near-shattering noise. I yelp, looking behind me. A large lightning like shape has etched itself onto my side of the cup, outlining the center of my back. The others don't notice, unable to see the damage. I open my mouth to explain the situation when the cup spins again, rounding over a bump in the track of the ride. Falling back against the rim of the cup again it smashes open, revealing a giant gaping hole.

With a weird, nearly inhuman sound coming from my throat, I tumble backwards through the hole. With some quick thinking, I reach out and safely snag the very bottom of the handle of the cup. The three still inside panic, all leaning over the edge to see me.

"Reese, what happened?!" Boris shouts, trying to reach down for me. Sadly my death grip on the handle prevents me from even trying to receive his hand.

"What do you think happened, smarts? I told you this ride isn't safe!" I shriek, my eyes completely closed. While everyone, including some faceless workers who happened to witness the bizarre occurrence call to me for instructions and ways to bring myself to safety, all I can focus on are the hazardous bumps and spins on the ride. Trembling like a newborn giraffe stuck in some frozen wasteland, I begin to slip away.

With a final jolt of the cup, I fall off, landing hard on the track of the ride. Gowland desperately signs for the conductor to stop the ride, but it looks to be too late. In my dazed state, I curl into fetal position on the track and watch as the cup behind ours spins and twirls, coming straight toward me. Immediately before it hits, I black out.

-;

"... she be okay?"

I hear a rustling noise and I snuggle into the warm bed I've been placed in, still a little worn out from the day's adventures.

"Reese?" Pierce's voice calls softly into the darkness. Light rolls over my closed eyelids, yet I still try to shake off the awakening. _I'm still tired. _

"Young lady, are you all right?" Internally groaning I open my eyes to see a pure white ceiling, accompanied by the silhouette of three heads. I don't have to be a genius to figure out who's in the room with me, unless the doctor decided to stick around this madhouse.

"Great. The faces of evil have joined me on my death bed. Welcome." I greet monotonously, slipping my arm from under the covers to shield my face. Someone takes it away, leaning closer to me.

"You certainly survived a nasty fall!" Boris snickers, inspecting me for whatever reason. "You all right, there?" I jut out my bottom lip, contemplating.

"I was thinking I should re-decorate my room. Make it more homey, you know?" He laughs at that and recoils, letting me to my privacy until Pierce comes in.

"Waaah! I was so scared!" He flings his body on top of mine, obviously oblivious to my dull pain. Good mood gone, Boris yells at him and pulls out a fork and knife while Gowland tries to calm the two down. Within a matter of seconds, a wild fight erupts in the room and I sit in silence, thinking carefully about my next plan of action. Which was, of course, to shut them up so I could get back to my resting. After all, my head is throbbing and I feel like I've bruised my bum to the point of never walking again. _Boris is right; I survived a really nasty fall. How'd that next cup miss me? _I nonchalantly twist my arm and search for bruises I know might be hiding somewhere. Thankfully, they're not yet visible and I relax a bit, but then Pierce's sharp squeal drags me to the reality of the situation.

_Why must it always come to this... Maybe I can yell again._ I consider the consequences and decide against doing so. _My throat would hurt too much. Ah! I'll flip through my diary!_ Yanking the small object from my bag I scour the pages for any advice from my past until I stumble upon an old entry in regards to a dispute between my brother and sister. Finally it hits me and I put on my best smile, prepared to speak over everyone else. _This should do the trick._

Taking in the brooding mood of the room, I decide to work my magic. "Fun fact: Birds of Paradise have, in my humble opinion, _spectacular_ ways of trying to attract mates; in New Guinea the six-plumed Bird of Paradise will clean his area of performance, and once he's ready, he'll extend his wings to the front of his body, kind of like a table, and dance around on the forest floor to attract a mate." The fighting stops almost subsequently and everyone looks at me like I'm the ugly duckling, walking in on a handsome duck parade.

"What?" Of course, the reply was in unison. I chuckle, covering my mouth. _Works like a charm._

"Can I please get some sleep now?" I ask, still grinning. Realizing what I'd done, Boris, Gowland, and Pierce all laugh a bit and agree to leave me to my own devices. I settle back into the bed, fluffing up my pillow. Quickly my mind becomes flooded with thoughts of re-decorating my room again._ I'll make them help me since they put me in this mess, anyways. Sweet, sweet revenge. _As Gowland leads Pierce out of the room, Boris lingers behind a moment and comes to my side.

"Hey..." A slight pause. "Would you like to attend the Joker's Circus with me tomorrow?" Drifting off into sleep, I almost disregard his question.

"Mmm?" I think and remember the circus, and how much fun I had with White and Black. _That's right... I promised I'd return anyways. _"Mhm. Sure thing, man." Smiling, Boris ruffles my hair and retreats, slinking out the door. Soon I fall asleep again, now thinking about tomorrow's adventures.

* * *

**AN: **Whee! I just love putting Reese in horrible situations.**  
**


	11. Practice Makes Imperfect

**AN:** I'm not sure the description of the prison realm or the Circus events is right. I mean I got the whole "Joker no Kuni no Alice is another country!" thing wrong (thankfully serasenshi was kind enough to tell me), so I'm not sure if the Prison Realm actually looks like it is in pictures and the movie or not? If not, please tell me and I'll change it!  
And I think I just read a translation where it says Alice wasn't allowed to see the Circus being prepared. Sigh.

* * *

The next day comes faster than I expected. I wake to a rather un-pleasant surprise; I kick and howl at the pair of hands snaking around my ankles as a few other people rush into the small nursing room. _Do they even have a hospital at the park...? _I shift and mumble incoherently into my pillow. _I wouldn't be surprised if they have a temporary medical tent or office. From what I've seen, a ton of these rides need 'test drives'. Ugh._ The hands tickle my feet unexpectedly and I go into action. Suddenly I kick at the hands so hard that I propel myself out of the makeshift bed.

"**_Whoa_**!" I squeal as I fall out of the bed, my left shoulder colliding with the hardwood floor before anything else. I open my eyes, feeling like I want to go back to sleep right on the floor. I hear cackling resound from the opposite side of the bed. A second later I tag the laughter as coming from Boris. _It only makes sense._

"Hey, hey. Watch it, Giggles McGee." I say sarcastically, drawing myself up from the floor with the help of Pierce, who had scrambled to my side after the impact. "What time is it?"

"Time for_ you_ to get a watch!" Boris jokes, sending a wink my way. I ignore it with a shake of my rattled head and rub at my eyes.

"Thanks for the info. But really, are we going to the circus now?" The men of the room (and some workers who'd slipped in with Gowland) give me a long, stern look and I frown. "What?"

Gowland takes me by my forearms and looks me up and down for a second. "There's no way we're letting you leave this park looking like that." I narrow my eyes, shifting around in my still-baggy suit and then I lift my arms.

"What else do you expect me to wear?" That's when I take heed of their somber uniforms; it looks as though we're attending a funeral. _Morbid much? _"Wow, Boris. You're actually wearing clothes. Good for you!" I give a weary thumbs up and he waves me off. _Right. Back to the situation at hand._ "So what do you expect me to wear, again?" Before anyone can answer, I hold out my hand. "And don't you dare say something girly or frilly. There's no way I can have any fun if I'm being constrained by... corsets, or whatever."

Boris lashes his tail, almost purring in amusement. "Well, you have to dress formally. So what other option do you have?" I swipe my hand across my chin, my eyes slowly trailing over the female worker's skirt and shirt. She's wearing a really adorable pencil skirt (though I'm not so into short skirts), and a blouse with a light jacket over it to cover her bare shoulders. Even with the color vibrant colors, it's actually rather stylish, if I do say so myself. Suddenly an idea springs into my vacant brain.

"I have an idea! Miss, would you come with me?" She jolts at my booming voice, but we're out the door before anyone protests. We're walking fast enough that the boys are virtually left to their own devices, so I lead her to a bench. Finally we stop and I turn around, speaking excitedly.

"Do you guys have any clothing stores around here?" She thoughtfully draws her finger to her temple and then replies.

"We have a storage room with some clothes and various uniforms from the previous years at the park..."

"Great!" I clap my hands together. "Will you be so kind as to lead me there?" She blinks and nods, calmly taking me to the storage room. Thankfully, it isn't too far from the medical office, and as soon as we enter, the kind worker directs me to the women's clothing stacked in a few boxes at the corner of the room. As I sift through the items, I pinpoint the exact outfit I'm looking for. Thankfully, they're in darker colors to fit the strange color scheme of the day. I pull out a white blouse that's thick enough so my dark skin doesn't show through and I yank off my baggy jacket to try it on. The worker smiles and leaves a minute, coming back with a mirror.

"Thanks!" She nods and I inspect the shirt, giving it a mental check mark. Next I pull out a super soft, light jacket that's dyed black in case the blouse won't completely cut it. "Now for the bottoms..." I pout at my limited options; skirts and more skirts. _I suppose I could wear slacks, but they're usually a bit big on me... if Gowland wants me to be formal, I don't think that'll do. Unless I had a really good belt. _I pull out a black skirt and inspect it. It's definitely longer than the worker's uniform today, but it's not tight. _It looks like my formal floral skirt back at home... it's perfect! _Eagerly, I swap my pants for the skirt and admire myself in the mirror.

"You definitely look prepared, Miss!" The faceless coos, but her face falls as she glances at my socks. "But you still need shoes..."

"Oh, right." I look down and jump a bit. Without looking up, I ask, "Do you have any black boots or something?"

"Of course! I'll be right back." I hear the click-clack of the woman's heels as she veers off somewhere, and I look back at myself in the mirror. _Of course, I'll have to wash my face and brush my hair and fix... well, just about everything, but I look pretty darned spiffy like this! _Faster than expected, the worker comes back and hands me a pair of low-heeled boots. I slip them on and strike a pose.

"Man, I look good." My companion smiles again and we head off to the nearest bathroom for me to freshen up in, but not before I gather my other clothes and tidy up the boxes I ripped through.

After fixing up my appearance in the bathroom (and brushing my teeth, with the complimentary toothbrush Gowland left for me in my room), I trod back to the office and peek in, grinning like a madman.

"Ready, boys?" They nod and file out of the room. As soon as Pierce exits, he glances me over and beams.

"You look really pretty!" I flip my hair teasingly, and nod.

"Yeah. I know." Boris looks back, something twinkling in his amber eye.

"You clean up nice, kid. It's almost like you're _a_ girl_!_" We all laugh in good nature and make our fun journey to the Circus. Unfortunately the way there isn't as smooth as the morning prior. Boris and Pierce begin to argue and Gowland feebly attempts to stop them while I lead, quietly slipping my MP3 on to block out the noise. For a second, I hear Pierce asking me how I know the way to the Circus in the first place, so I simply explain my last trip there. While they whine and complain about the 'dangers involved in going to the Circus alone' a thought comes to my own mind. I turn around, expertly walking backwards into the bizarre woods with the signs and the balloons in decoration for the Circus.

"Oi, Boris. I thought you asked me to attend the Circus with _you_, not _this_ ragtag team of goofballs." Boris turns pink a moment, pulling down his eyelid to mock me.

"It was just a general question! Besides, it's not like they had a choice." Gowland huffs something along the lines of 'sadly' and I pop my eyebrow up in questioning.

Wheeling around on my heel I stretch my arms into the sky. I lower them to clasp my hands around the back of my head and then I play my lips into a smile. "I hope I get to see the elephant again! Aww, he was just such a precious little thing."

"Little? Elephants are huge."

"Shush."

Finally we arrive and I become hyperactive, ready to bolt into the place. Thankfully, Gowland sees me springing into action and he grabs me by my collar, holding me back like a puppy. As I hover over the ground a bit, I spy out of the corner of my eye two diabolical children weaving through the congregation of people. Behind them walk a carrot-haired man and a guy with a black top hat.

Shamefully, I snuggle my tiny head into my shirt and hope they don't recognize me by my hair. Pierce, who's suited on my left, and Boris, on my right, see my embarrassed actions and ask what's wrong.

"Please. Just let me die."

"Wait, what?"

"Reese?" I freeze in my shirt and curl my legs up, though it provides me no cover. Gently, Gowland lets me down and also stiffens, though I know it's because he loathes Blood. As I re-cooperate and smooth out my outfit, Elliot approaches, a bright smile on his face. His dark outfit puts me off, though.

"Why does everyone look like we're going to a funeral?" Laughing, Elliot's ears flop up and down and I blush, wanting to touch them again.

"It's a part of the rules." Blood says shortly, twirling his swanky cane in his hand. I see a red and gold program barely in the grasp of his other hand. I bite my lip in jealousy. _I want one. _He notices my semi-glare aimed towards him and he suddenly flips his cane upside down to tip his hat a bit at only words that float through my mind are 'womanizer' and 'priss'. It's at this time that I notice the twins are in the back, not really taking part in the conversation. In fact, their heads are lowered and them almost look like sad kittens taking a bath, minus the water.

In response, I lower my gaze and think of something to say. Elliot stops laughing and awkwardly steps aside to let the boys closer. I sigh and prepare to give an apologetic speech. However, as I say my first few words two masses slam into my gut and I begin to choke on my own spit.

"We're sorry!" The twins say in unison, hugging me so tightly that I feel like my soul is being pushed out of my body. Shakily, I find myself able to move my hand, so I place it on Dee's back and give a slow, forced pat.

"'S... okay..." I grunt. Boris tilts his head, leaning closer to see my face.

"You're turning blue." _Wow, way to help Boris. I always knew I could count on you to say the obvious._

"Get off her, idiots!" Elliot demands, pulling them back. In a fatherly manner, he raises his index finger and begins to list off reasons why they are never allowed to be near, see, hear, talk to, or even think about me again while I heave and pant in the background.

"Elliot..." I breathe, rubbing my chest. "It's fine! It's... fine. They're okay."

The bunny lowers his finger, his ears falling back on his head. "You sure?"

"P-positive! I'm over it." I shoot the Mansion quartet my signature sideways smile and straighten myself to stand up straight. Gowland squats down and whispers into Pierce's ear.

"Did we miss something?"

I laugh and place my hands on my hips, looking around at the scenery. The place is loaded with faceless families and individuals. The tents and booths are all set up, and the games are thriving with costumers. I consider the amount of time and effort it took to set this all up. "So what should we do? Walk around until the show starts?" The others exchange glances while Elliot rubs his thumb on his bottom left cheek.

"Why did _you_ have to come?" I blink, looking every which way to find the source of the voice. Then, fast approaching, comes the Clover Tower's inhabitants, also decked out in depressing attire. Victoria is escorted by a butler and I finally realize that everyone must've brought their own faceless workers to come along.

"I'm so very happy to see you too, Victoria!" I giggle, crossing my arms. She snuffs and looks away while Nightmare gazes at me.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here, Reese."

I jab my thumb at Boris. "He asked me to tag along. Besides, who doesn't love the circus? It's like one of the happiest places on Earth. Also," I skip up and nudge Julius affectionately. "It brought us all together, didn't it?" I look around and pause. "Well... almost all of us."

"Are you sticking with these guys?" Elliot tosses his head towards my group of numskulls. I look back at them before shrugging.

"Is there like some rule saying we can't stick together?"

"Well—" My attention turns to a large group of faceless crowded around some figure. I strain my ears to pick-up the voice and the second I single it out as being female I jump in excitement. Elliot stops speaking and everyone looks at me like I've got the plague.

"Speaking of sticking together, look who it is!" I elbow my way past Blood and his faceless servants. "I'll be right back!" I jog towards the Queen and her subordinates, hoping I looked formal enough to please them.

"V-Vivaldi!" I call, jumping up and down to catch her attention and see past her guards. Suddenly she turns to me and a smile blooms on her face. I stop jumping and return it.

"Let her through; we want to see our beloved foreigner." Honored and charmed, I step past the guards and bow. I stare at Vivaldi in awe, feeling always surprised by her beauty. _Her hair is really nice when it's down like that... _Ace looks away from the booth he's standing at and eyes me, laughing. Quickly he moves forward and sweeps me off my feet, cradling me like a baby.

"What are you doing here?" He asks, craning his neck to see my pained expression. I shake my head, pushing him away from his cheeks and I somehow manage to scramble out of his grasp.

"I came here with Gowland and the others! I wanted to see the show..." I explain, dusting off my skirt. Peter, who must've been trailing behind, saunters up and blinks, taking in the scene before him.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," he says in an oddly calmed tone. My heart warms at the progression of our friendship and I restate my previous sentence. He nods and then looks away while the Castle guards stand still as stone, their faces contorted in shock. Five eventually clears his throat and greets me and I smile.

"Well, I was going to offer you all to travel with me but you look rather busy, so I'll take my leave. See you at the show!" I flash everyone an optimistic grin and jog off in the direction from which I came. Inexplicably, the gang appears to have dissolved; not even Boris, Pierce, or Gowland waited. I look around, now completely alone and engulfed in a sea of strangers. I panic a bit, wondering if I took a wrong turn.

"Dee? Dum?" I shout, drawing the attention of the families strolling by, but not my friends. After another few tries I sink down to the ground in defeat, my heart oddly heavy with emotions. _I wanted to hang out with my friends... it's no fun to be a Circus when there's nobody to share the fun with!_ I toss my head back and look at the sky, though some of it looks to be covered by the trees surrounding the area. People walk around me, occasionally stopping to stare or ask if I'm okay, but I can't bring myself to answer.

A hand lightly falls over my shoulder and I ignore it until I hear the jingling of bells. Curious, I turn my head and jump to my feet, completely reanimated. "White! Wh-what are you doing here? You've got a show to run!"

He lifts an eyebrow. "I do, but I will say that seeing a little girl such as yourself all crumpled and lonely on the ground was a little disconcerting. But we are delighted to see you came."

I wink, puffing out my chest. "Just like I said!"

"'We'? Who's 'we'?" Black hisses from inside the mask, causing it to rattle. I crouch down and tap it, smirking.

"Ooh, it's good to see you again, Black. Or rather, hear you again. Will you be taking part in the show as well?" White laughs heartily while Black slings some dirty words my way.

"I'm the prison warden, f*cknuts. There's no way I'd take part in something so retarded." I bristle, using the twirled up jacket in my hands to lash at the mask. White looks at me in bewilderment, probably having felt a little sting from the impact, while Black yelps.

"What was that for?"

"Don't call the Circus that! It's really mean. I honestly wonder how you'd survive if there were a rule saying 'No swearing allowed'." _That_ shuts him up. Suddenly I hear a loud crash from the largest tent in the center and I instinctively cringe, knowing that must mean something's up. White groans, scratching his forehead.

"That doesn't sound good. I guess I'll have to go check that out. Black," he addresses his compatriot. "Will you be willing to look after our dear friend here until the show's ready?"

Both Black and I stutter out, "What?!"

"It'll only be for a short while." White gives me such a convincing look that I sigh and give in. We both wait for Black's response. He stays quiet for a while before, too, relenting.

"Fine. But I'm warning you, if you're going to be a little brat I'll gag you and lock you up." I roll my eyes and suddenly White gives a knowing smile before the world around me swirls and transforms. I stagger, wondering if maybe I'm beginning to pass out but then I find myself in a very unfamiliar environment.

Everything's grey and dull, and I feel almost confined. Immediately, I turn around and see a table lit up with a strange man seated casually beside it. His hair is a fiery red, covered only by a black police cap. He's wearing a nice, dark uniform and swinging a collection of keys in his pinky finger. I squint, trying to see his facial features in the dark shadow of his hat. Suddenly he looks up, eye narrowed and mouth in a visible frown. It's White, only in different close, and not White at all.

"So. What do you wanna do, d*mmit?" Taken aback, I apprehensively set my hands on my hips and look around again, now seeing an exit nearby. _But where does it lead to? Maybe I could just make my way back to the circus without White knowing and then both Black and I will be happy._

"Uh..." My eyes flicker back and forth between the (rather dashing) warden and the opening. "What do you have to do?"

His head fell back in his chair, groaning. "Not much. Probably nothing _you'd_ find interesting, little brat." I cock my dark eyebrow. "Why don't you just sit here, shut up, and wait until the show starts?"

I chortle shortly. "Why don't you get up and do your job instead of lazing around? Where are we, anyway?" I begin towards the exit, my curiosity getting the best of me. The warden stands up, stretching, though I can practically feel the glare piercing the back of my skull.

"We're at the prison, f*ckface. And I was just about to do my job, had you not interrupted me."

I turn, sneering. "It's not my fault I got lost!"

"It is too!"

"Oh, hush! How about you do your job, and I just observe?" I say abruptly with my sweeter side coming to. Black stops beside me, running his fingers through the mess of hair under his hat.

"Tch. Whatever. Just don't bother me, got it?"

"Roger!" I salute him and we make our way into the prison. Despite its gloomy demeanor, my excitement gets the best of me and I put on a goofy grin. When we enter the actual prison, I observe the disturbing layout. Toys and dolls are strewn about the place, discarded and abandoned in the dusty cells. Upon closer inspection I realize they're all bandaged and beaten. I accidentally brush a ripped up teddy bear with my boot and I stop, feeling bad. Picking up the ragged object, I attempt to paw some of the stuffing back inside the small hole on the side of the bear. Black stops and looks at me curiously.

"What are you doing?" Thinking quickly, I hold the bear behind me and look as though I'm clasping my hands together behind my back.

"I'm just waiting for you to continue. Where are the prisoners, anyway?" He scoffs at me and moves again.

"Most of them are down this way... I knew it was a d*mn bad idea I brought you. Listen, don't you touch anything, and don't talk to anything!" I flinch, my hand squeezing the torn teddy bear still behind me. _Maybe if I just set it down when he isn't looking... oh, but this is terrible. I'm so protective of my toys at home; I can't just leave this poor guy all alone! _While I ignite a civil war in my mind, Black begins to talk to two shadowy figures ahead of us. Due to my poor eyesight, I can only make out their black attire, while their face remains obscured.

I look to my left, seeing some scattered prisoners secluded in the corners of the cells. As we traverse down the walkway I see less toys, and more and more prisoners, now one in each cell. They murmur and start up some noise at my arrival, and I sigh.

"I wonder what it'd be like."

"What?" Black calls annoyingly over his shoulder, stuffing one hand into his pocket.

"Being locked up in a cell, I mean. I just wonder how it would feel." We start moving again and I hear a clatter from down below. Keeping my hands to myself, I jump over and peer over the balcony, finding a truly bizarre sight. A line of people are being led by the shadow-figures. My stomach churns upon seeing the shackles. But that's not the weirdest part—the creepiest thing is that their heads are covered! They have on dirty rags and stuffed heads covering their faceless faces. Unbeknownst to me, Black stops and looks over my shoulder, smirking devilishly.

"Isn't it beautiful?" He croons, causing me to jump. Thankfully the railing isn't too short, or I probably would've tumbled over.

"What's going on with their heads? Is it to protect their identity or something? Is it to punish them, maybe?" I peer down at the prisoners, some of them looking my way due to the echo. "I've never seen such a method before..."

Black doesn't bother to respond, instead tearing something out of my hands. I quickly recognize the teddy bear gone from my grasp. I pale, focused on not looking the warden in the eye.

"Why in the h*ll do you have this with you? I specifically said to _not_ touch anything." I shiver upon hearing the sound of a cell door being opened. The prisoners start calling out even more, having already guessed what would happen before my brain could register what's happening. The next moment, I'm dragged away from the balcony and my back collides with the brick walls, scratching up some of my blouse. I rub my sides and close my eyes, a little discombobulated. Then, as the cell door slams shut, I gasp and crawl to the bars, pleadingly staring into Black's indifferent expression.

"Hey, let me out!"

"Wow. Only two seconds in and you're already begging. Even Alice wasn't so whiny." He laughs, pulling out a long black object. He slaps it against his hand and a drop of sweat tumbles down my tanned cheek. _Oh, of course. A whip. Why do all the weird things happen to me?_ I stop thinking again a moment.

"Wait… you mean Alice was in here before?"

"Yeah," he responds, twirling his whip smugly. At this point, I highly doubt him using it against me, but I can't be too trusting, so I scoot back a bit and fall back onto my elbows, my legs out in front of me.

"You mean… locked up?"

"Yeah. I think I just said that, a**hat."

"But wh—did she commit a crime?"

He gives me a funny look. "What's your problem today?"

"I just want to know how someone as sweet as Alice could be locked up in here?" I glance around, then laugh. "Oh, wait! You mean you were just messing with her, right? Well then, how would normal people be locked up? What awful crimes would you commit in Wonderland?"

He narrows his eyes in an annoyed fashion, per usual. "You ask too many questions."

"I'm just curious!"

"Well stop being curious, little prick."

"I kind of wonder if I've met any of the prisoners here, now…"

"Heh. Well here's some new information for ya; you know that dumb hare? I locked his *ss up once before."

"You mean Peter? Good lord, why am I not surprised…" I shake my head in disapproval and Black slaps his forehead.

"No, the other one."

"… Elliot? What?! What was he in for?"

"He shot someone's clock." He snaps the whip at the bars like he's practicing techniques, and I'm suddenly thankful I moved back.

"Uh… okay? That's weird?"

He stops suddenly, his smile falling. "Wha?"

"I mean it's just a clock." He tips his head, half-glaring at me and half-staring in confusion. I crawl closer to him and weakly pummel at the bars. "Now can you let me out? I'm getting anxious in here, and you really don't want to see me when I'm anxious."

He snaps back to reality and shoots a dirty look down at me. "I don't want to see you, period."

"Wow, talk about sassy!"

"Do you want to stay in there even longer?" He challenges, stepping away but dangling the mess of keys at his index finger's tip. Huffing, I sneak my arm through the cage and try to reach them, but they're literally just out of my reach.

"Black!" I cry plaintively, making him grimace. "Let me out, you big bully! Don't you have a job to do?"

"Well, duh. I could just leave you here to rot while I do said job, too."

"Why, I oughta—"

"Miss!" Black and I stop arguing to hear White coming from out of nowhere. "Hello?" I move so that I'm near the mask on Black's belt.

"Can you convince this loser to get me out of this cell?" White sighs, and I hear a loud, inhuman noise in the background. Black and I exchange an odd look, almost agreeing on something.

"He locked you up? I'm sorry about that. Well, he'll have to let you go, because I'm in need of your assistance." I light up, wiggling my body back and forth.

"Really?! What do you need?"

"I'll need you to come here and help tame this elephant—"

"I'm so there!" I shout, secretly sticking my tongue out at Black. He makes a disgusted face and begins to walk away, muttering his relief that I'm finally leaving him alone. A second later, the environment around me melts again and I watch the change in color, going from depressing grays and blacks to jovial reds and yellows. I step forward and the world stops warping, contorting to my movement. I pivot on the heel of my boots and catch a glimpse of White and the circus children trying to deal with a tempered elephant. The large creature stomps and wails, rearing his head up and down. His large tusks narrowly miss White's head as he ducks down. His head shifts a little and he spots me, looking appeased.

"Good, you're here. As you can see, this is the same elephant you saw last time, though something's made him upset. You've got a rather gentle touch; would you mind lending a hand?" I look at the poor creature in his misery. White's lips curl slightly, "I'll let you have a front row seat."

A little bribed, I go to work and step into the ring containing the agitated elephant and I warily confront him. _This would be easier if I actually knew more about elephants. Don't they get scared when you step up to them like this? Or was that a horse... no, wait, horses kick you if you approach them front behind! At least I think that's what happens... _Delicately, I cup the elephant's face as he squirms back and forth. His cries die down a bit.

"Hey there, little guy! Do you remember me? 'Cause I remember you..." I say mollifyingly, trailing my hands over the cracked texture of the elephant's skin in search of a trigger spot. That's when I locate a small object lodged in the side of the suffering animal. I worry my lower lip and tentatively reach forward, grasping the sharp stick with my forefingers. The elephant roars and stumbles back, but I move with him and keep my hold on the item. From the front, White says something, sounding worried.

"What's going on?"

"I think I've got something! Just stand by, okay?" I whisper back to the elephant. "Shh, boy, it'll be okay. Let me just... get this... out!" I yell and yank the stick out, causing the elephant to shriek and storm backwards into a tent. Thankfully he doesn't retreat too far, and the tent is salvaged, but the distressed animal plops onto the ground and shakes his giant head. My heart aches and I pet his face again, murmuring words of comfort. After a few moments of talking he quiets down and stands up, working his back legs. I smile, noting how it doesn't seem to be so sore now.

White begins clapping and I swing my head around to face him. He comes closer, thrusting out his hand. "Thank you! I knew you could help me out." I laugh and shake his hand vigorously, looking back too the recovering elephant, now surrounded by the children.

"Will he be able to preform?"

White hums. "He'll be just fine. After all, he's a Circus elephant." He re-adjusts his jacket and tidies up his appearance.

"So, we just about ready for the show?" I ask excitedly, waving my fists in the air.

"Of course! How about I take you to your seat, now, so you can get situated?"

"Good idea. Ooh, I'd love some popcorn, too, if you have some—whoa!" I feel my body being lifted into the air and I become keenly aware of the hose-like nose of the elephant wrapping around my waist to elevate me. He brings me close, rocking me back and forth happily like a scene from Dumbo. _I am suddenly reunited with my long-lost relative, the elepant,_ my mind narrates,_ so_ _we embrace in a teary reunion. All has become right with the world._

"Hey!" A faceless girl shouts, looking up at me from the ground. "He likes you!"

The boy joins her, giggling. "You should be in the show with us!" The tips of my ears burn, but I swear it's out of happiness. We all look to White for a witty response, but to my astonishment (and _very_ slight trepidation) he seems considerate of the proposal.

"Well, you haven't been trained..." he begins, but the elephant holding me bellows, as though to disagree with the circusmaster. I stroke his trunk and kick my legs, allowing him to let me down. White strokes his chin, something flashing in his ruby red eye. "But we could definitely fit you in somewhere. How about it?"

He offers his hand once more, and I have a feeling of Deja Vu. _Didn't Elliot say to not trust them? But..._ I take White's hand and break out into such a large, almost devious grin that it could easily match Boris'. _Elliot and the others must not know what they're talking about. As mother always says, 'Never judge a book by its cover'._

"Let's do this."

-;

( Gray's POV )

From the corner of my eye, I scrutinize Julius and Nightmare's behavior, knowing they were bound to cause some trouble at some point._ Not that I'm free of guilt._ I recall back to the time in which we came here with Alice, and I was quibbling with Julius for a majority of the show. _She wasn't really happy with that._

I glance around as the crowd sets in; the Queen and her flunkies were just a few rows down, with Vivaldi scolding the Prime Minister and the Knight for whatever reason. Just below them, a little to the right, sat the Mafiosi. I'm honestly not too interested in their affairs, for fairly obvious reasons.

Finally, just two rows down from my group were Gowland's gang of follies. Speaking of the Amusement Park owner, he sees the cat and mouse sparking tension and quickly separates them by sitting in the middle. Whilst observing their dramatic display, I scrunch up my eyes to see better through the line of people being seated in front of me. _1, 2, 3, 4, 5... but where's Miss Reese? _Nightmare stops brooding and perks up, also looking at the disorganized group.

"It appears we have a missing member," Nightmare states absently as we watch Gowland stand up, in search of a certain someone. He looks visibly upset by the missing person, but I can't blame him. Suddenly the lights dim a bit and the Ringmaster steps onto the stage, bowing deeply.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" The crowd cheers, and I clap my hands after them. "We have a very special performance tonight, so I hope you all enjoy. And now, the event you've all been waiting for... the Circus!"

Acrobats and performers dive onto the stage, each making their own special entry. It's something I'd seen a bunch of times before, with only the moves being different each time. I sit back in my seat and try to enjoy myself.

-;

( Normal POV )

I open my droopy eyes, expecting to be in my bed or in the hospital bed. _Knowing my luck, the whole ordeal with the Circus was nothing more than a dream. _But no. I'm definitely not in any bed. In fact, I've somehow made my way onto a tightrope sagging ever so slightly over a well-lit stage with tons of performers rolling around on enormous balls. Some are juggling and others are doing magnificent flips. I open my mouth to scream or say something, but nothing comes out thanks to the amount of shock I'm in. Looking behind, I'm halfway across the hazardous rope, and I'm being led by the circus children from earlier. The boy is affectionately tending to my right side, holding me so steadily I'm sure I can't fall, while the girl is a little detached.

"What's... what's going on?" I whisper, though the noise from the rest of the events are obviously louder than I am, even at a normal tone of voice. The girl giggles and looks back to me, swinging my hand.

"We're performing, silly! You said you wanted to!"

I turn pink, my legs beginning to wobble beneath me. _Don't look down, don't look down...! _I look back up at the girl and urge her to go forward, but she remains still.

"Aw, that's no fun!" The boy behind me exclaims, loosening his hold on me. The girl mimics his movements and I wobble even more; I'm almost sure the audience can see it now. I try to remain calm, not wanting to mess up White's show, but this is sort of a big deal for me.

_Speaking of White... _I look around as subtly as I can for the Circus master, but to no avail. However, in the crowd I'm able to make out each of the role holders, all with varying looks on their faces. I look down, against better judgment, and swallow thickly. There's no net; there's nothing but the performers and my beloved elephant friend, who has just moved so that he's now performing right below me. I look around, looking for a way out, but there's no use. If I want to cross, the girl would have to move, but she won't. I can't exactly fly, either, so that's definitely out of the question.

"Hey... guys?"

"Mm?" The loyal circus children ask simultaneously.

"On the count of three, you're going to push me off, okay?" They exchange shocked glances, as though they expected me to force them to move so I could try and walk off the tightrope (without falling, of course).

"But—" the boy starts as I countdown.

"One."

"Why are we pushing you off?"

"Two."

"Do you even know what you're doing, lady?!"

"Three!" Obeying orders, they let go of my hands and forcefully shove me off the rope. The crowd gasps but I focus on my premature stunt routine. Thinking fast, I prepare myself to do a front flip on the back of my elephant friend, despite having never done one before in my life.

But my gray friend seems more than prepared, and he lowers his head for a second with another idea in mind. As I land in perfect position on my feet, he snaps up his head and uses his trunk as a makeshift slide. I slip off my feet follow its track and land in sitting position on his shoulders with my head bowed.

For a moment the audience is completely silent, probably unsure of what just happened. I join them in their silence before looking up, smiling as brightly as I can. The spectators break into applause, standing up and hollering at my fancy footwork. I start laughing, raising a hand in the air to wave while using the other to pat and congratulate the elephant for his head. He makes a happy roaring sound and props himself on his back feet, much like a rearing horse. Finally, White steps onto the front of the stage and removes his hat, bowing and stretching out his hand.

"We hope you enjoyed the show!"

With that, the performance is over.

As the crowd files out of the tent, I pant and tug at my shirt, feeling a little hot and sweaty. Acting quickly, I scramble off the animal's back and press a kiss to his head. "Thanks for the help, uh..." I trail off. "Brother. I'll call you Brother." He nods his head multiple times in approval and ruffles my hair with his trunk. I laugh and uncoil myself from his grasp yet again.

"Bye, Brother! I've got to get out of here before I'm yelled at for whatever that stunt was. I'll visit you again soon!"

Stealing stealthily through the shadows and the actors moving to clean up the tent, I slip through the entrance virtually unnoticed. "Man. This would've been easier, if I still had my black jacket. I hope White didn't take it and throw it away by accident!"

While I sneak past more faceless figures I see Gowland and the gang, as well as a few other Role Holders, waiting impatiently by a popcorn stand nearby. Squinting, I see a few of them look somewhat angry. _I should've seen that coming..._

My thoughts are cut off by White's hand on my shoulder again. _Oh, come on! The last time he did this, I was sent to a prison, locked up, then saved, then thrown into a performance I don't even remember getting into!_ I lick my lips. _How... how come I don't remember? I remember agreeing to be a part of it, but the rest was a blur. Maybe I was drugged up. Or not. Probably not. I have horrible memory._

"That was certainly a risky move you took back there, young lady. Then again, I expected nothing less of you. I figured you might not settle for walking across a measly tightrope." I huff, still crouched, and glance at him.

"It's not like I had much a choice. Your little devil subordinates gave me no other option!"

White laughs and monitors my careful movements. "Hm? Hiding from someone?" I hiss and pull him down to my level, casually pointing to Gowland's expression. He quietly slips me my soft jacket from earlier and I give a low growl, taking it without hesitation. I turn my attention to the Role Holders again.

"Do you not see the looks on their faces? They're sure to kill me!"

"I doubt that. Besides, you can't stay in this spot forever," he adds cheerfully. "You came here with them, did you not?"

"How'd you know?"

"I'm a lot more observant than you think."

I sigh and stand up straight, prepared to face the music. Literally, from Gowland. I mean I honestly don't expect much else than him pulling out some musical instrument and conveying his upset feelings with me through Bach.

"Hey, White?"

"Yes?"

"Is it okay if I come back and see Brother again soon?" He casts me an inquisitive glance.

"Who's 'Brother'?"

"Oh. Well the elephant. I kinda named him on my own, because I didn't know his real name."

He shrugs. "It's fine that you gave him a name. In any case, I wouldn't mind you returning every once in a while. I must say, you're a delight to have around. And, judging by that last performance, you could even be a part of the Circus!"

"Oh, h*ll no." We're woefully interrupted by Black's rant of why I should never come back. "Listen here, you little *ss. You took up half my day, blatantly disregarded my orders, and asked questions every d*mn second. You're so annoying, I'd literally shoot myself if you came here just because White has taken a liking to you."

I scoff, glaring down at the little mask, whose mouth has now turned down, as compared to the usual bright smile. "That's not very nice! It wasn't half your day, for one thing. It was more like fifteen minutes. You just don't get enough social interaction to understand the difference..."

"That didn't even make sense!"

"Shut it! Two, I picked up that poor abused doll way before you said I couldn't. Why do you even have toys? Is it some dirty secret of yours?" I raise my pitch to mimic a little girl's. "Aw, does little Blackie like to play with dolls because he has no other friends?" I lower my tone again, "_Well_ if you're that passionate about them, you should take better care of them! It's horrible to leave them strewn about the prison, all wrapped up and cut and whatnot. And three, I was only asking questions because I'm a curious person. Since when is that a bad thing?"

"Nobody likes nosy people, brat!"

"Yeah, well nobody likes narrow-minded prison wardens either, punk!"

"What did you just say to me?!"

"You heard me!" I hiss, my voice getting louder than usual. White, awkwardly placed between us, tries to intervene but Black and I are too stubborn to relent.

"Come and say that to my face, b*tch, not through masks, and see what happens."

I roll my eyes and snap, "You wanna tousle, birdbrain?"

"Who says tousle anymore?" Black responds, and I hear the clatter of a chair, as though he just stood up.

White finally pushes me back and covers his mask, with Black's words turning into muffled sounds. White gestures around him and I see that everyone within the vicinity has stopped and looked to us (us being me shouting at Black, who is unfortunately only heard through a mask right now, so I probably look like a lunatic). Even the Role Holders just a few yards away have seen me. _Blown my cover. Of course. _

I push myself even further away from White and his mask, trying to remain as indifferent to the situation as possible. Stalking away, I say a brief goodbye to the Jokers and get ready to face whatever punishment may come.

-;

( White's POV )

Black and I watch as Reese sulks off, trying to keep her dignity in tact. My smile fades with every step she takes until she's finally out of the circus. I wipe my head and make my way into the main tent to supervise the clean-up.

Black keeps quiet for a while. "You know, because of that d*mn elephant, she's probably going to come around a lot more than usual."

"Yep."

"And she's probably going to wanna try and be friends.

I sigh, "That's correct, Joker."

"... I f*cking hate you sometimes. Why are you even being so disgustingly kind to her? Just... I don't know, rough her up a bit or something. Treat her like we treated Alice! I want to see some harassing soon."

"Well, she's not your average foreigner. We'll just have to keep on her good side until we can figure out her real purpose for coming to Wonderland."

My counterpart groans and bangs his head on the table once. "Well, next time she comes around, she better bring me a lot of f*cking pain medication for the headaches she's gonna cause me."

* * *

**AN:** Sorry for the lack of updates for my other stories, but this one _is_ my top priority.  
My friend said I should make it so Reese's outfits match her mood which I think is a really fun and quirky idea. I liked it, so I want the first time she wears a dress (not a skirt, because those can vary) to be like semi-special-ish.  
Thanks for the all the support, you guys!


	12. Inter-dimensional Dream Traveling

**AN: **Is that 1,000 or so stories for our archive I see? Why yes, yes it is! Here's a chapter to celebrate! Also, it's rather short, so I'm sure you'll all be happy. Happy December!

* * *

Unbeknownst to my fellow compatriots, I successfully plug in my earphones in as the lectures began. Yeah, I did get in a heap of trouble I suppose. Between Nightmare's trio, Elliot and the twins, Ace, and my own group, Ace and the twins were virtually the only guys who didn't try to chew my ears out.

As Nightmare's repining reaches my ears above Jesse McCartney's breathtakingly sweet voice I groan and pull out an earphone, reprimanding him right back.

"Frankly, I haven't heard a word any of you said. Now calm down; it was all in good fun!" I crane my neck, rubbing it gingerly. "How on Earth did poor, sweet Alice deal with this?"

Ace pops in, sticking his large brown head between Nightmare and I. Instinctively, I speed-walk ahead so that I'm leading the group again through the forest. "Hah, that's easy," he calls up to me. "Alice was never as difficult a person as you are! She was definitely more mature." I sigh, half my mind returning to the music.

"Too bad none of that maturity rubbed off on you, Ace."

Pierce suddenly smiles, and a blush creeps across his pale cheeks as he cups them. "Alice was so nice and so pretty! She always took care of us."

Boris purrs in agreement. "For once I concur with the filthy rat; Alice was always so caring. Even though we're easily replaceable, she always saw each and every one of us as important." Curiously, I turn on my heel and walk backwards, as I did on the way to the circus. Raising my eyebrow at Pierce and now Boris' blushes, something clicks in my head.

"Oh ho ho! You're not trying to insinuate something here, are you?" Inconspicuously, I push my two index fingers together.

"What do you mean?" Boris asks stupidly, suddenly having forgotten his fantasies. I giggle and fold my hands across my chest.

"Don't even play dumb with me, mangy cat. You were in love with Alice, weren't you?! You too, Pierce!" They jump at my accusations, neither affirming nor denying them, while Elliot's ears shoot up into the air.

For a moment all is silent save for our footsteps on the dirt path, until Ace unceremoniously breaks the mood (not that I'm surprised). "We were all in love with her!"

I tilt my head, and again nobody offers to deny the claim presented. Julius, however, bows his head in humiliation. The twins run up to me and try to emulate my backwards steps.

"There's no reason we wouldn't love Alice!" Dee explains, almost tripping over a small rock. Dum nods and looks up at me, his eyes sparkling with innocence.

"Even if she can be boring, Alice is funny! An' she's the best big sister ever." He pouts a moment and pipes up again. "Of course, you're awesome, too. Maybe you can be our cousin!"

Dee chimes in again, grinning. "Our very pretty cousin."

Snorting in contempt, I begin skipping backwards, watching in delight as the twins again try to follow my movements, only to fail. Finally I stop and pull them up, smiling.

"That was for trying to sugarcoat your compliments." I whisper into their ears before pulling back. "So I guess what you're all trying to say is I'm okay, but you'd rather have Alice back, right?" Poor Gray trailing behind and being hidden behind the mess of people in front of him frowns and tries to disagree.

"It's not quite like that you kno—"

I stop him before he can finish. Twirling around I smile and begin to wrap up my MP3. "Speak no more, little boy." He tosses me an odd look. "I totally get it. I mean I never said I was the greatest person ever, so I don't really mind if you like Alice better. To be honest, I'm still really homesick." I stare at my shirt, entangling my fingers into the soft white fabric. "I want to be with my family again. So… after all this is over, you'll get Alice back, and I'll go home again!"

I look over my shoulder and see Nightmare's mysterious stare. Before I can say anything else, a choking hoot from an owl catches my attention. We all look around and I start coughing like I have a deadly disguise once I see Alice stowing away through the trees.

"A-are you okay?" Pierce asks, rubbing my back. I cough even more, knowing if he looks to our far left, he'll catch a glimpse of the fleeting brunette. Thinking quickly, I stand up and clear my throat.

"Yeah! I'm just peachy! Anyway, I think I saw a wild hippogriff. I'm going to go check it out. Later!" I sprint away in the opposite direction of Alice, just to divert their attention. After a few minutes of camping out in a tree's trunk, I climb out and rip my shirt a bit. I groan, but begin to tiptoe my way across the road we just traveled down. I squint to look down the path; the others are calling out for me, but thankfully they're farther away now.

"Good," I tell myself, slipping back into the undergrowth. As I make through the bushy twists and turns, I bump into none other than the famous brunette herself. I huff and stamp my foot.

"Alice Liddell! What on Earth are you doing here?" She turns a bright red and cups some strange object in her hands. "Are you asleep?"

"Well—"

I gasp, pointing my finger at her in accusation before she can say anything else. "You went down the hole, didn't you? Wait… this is great! I told the guys you wanted to come back. Now they'll have to believe me! So, how about this? You can go meet up with them and just say that I left, all right?" I begin to ramble, tightening my backpack on my shoulder. "Of course I forgot my pajamas at the Park… and I guess this means I can't visit Brother, but that's okay. He'll understand!" I look at a nearby tree, and gain inspiration. I grasp the lowest branch and haul myself up, trying to reach the top. "Maybe I can climb this tree back home! It only makes sense; after falling down, you go back up!" Alice frowns, moving towards the tree. Ever so lightly, she knocks on the bark and I look back down.

"Reese, I don't think that'll work. I know you're eager to get home and all, but you can't just climb out of Wonderland! You need to fill the potion and drink it. Besides, I was _going _to say I am asleep. It took me a while to find you, though."

I sigh, feeling deflated. In my defeat I clamber down the tree again and sink to the ground, drawing shapes with my pinky finger in the dirt. "Sorry I got a little carried away." I look up at her calculatedly. "That's right. We didn't have much time to talk before… at least you're here now. Gowland mentioned something about a vial. Is that what you're referring to?"

She nods, joining me on the ground. Gingerly, she pulls up her dress and sits properly, compared to my slumping posture. "Yes, that vial. How much have you filled it?"

I laugh. "I don't have one, silly!"

"What? What do you mean, you don't have a vial?" she nibbles at her nail, and then stops herself. "Check your bag, then? All outsiders have one, I'm sure."

I execute her orders and spill out the contents of my backpack. Suddenly a crystal glass bottle slides out. It's dark purple and missing a cap, and there's a long slit up the sides where it's cracked. I can see some colorful liquid stuck between the crevices. Alice and I exchange a worried glance as she picks up the damaged object.

"It's… it's broken," she whispers, spinning the bottle between her slender fingers. I take it back and shrug my shoulders.

"No matter, I guess. I can just get a new one!"

"I don't think it works that way, either. You see, when you interact with the Role Holders here, that phial slowly fills up with a colorful liquid. Once it's filled, you can return home or choose to stay in Wonderland." I put two puzzle pieces together again.

_I became close to Boris and the twins first… then there was that one morning where they kind of acted like we weren't friends. If this thing is supposed to fill the closer I become to them, does that mean since it's broken, we're not actually creating a closer bond? _I look at the vial again. _That makes sense. The liquid I accumulate is just leaking out, so it's like I form a connection with everyone, but then it just disappears because the glass is broken._

I repack my bag slowly, leaving the vial on the ground. _I guess I'll have to figure something else out, then…_ Without warning, the bottle begins to roll across the ground. Alice jumps to her feet and informs me of this, and I look to the bottle, now several feet away and still rolling fast, and I raise myself.

"After it!"

We chase after the runaway phial, leaving my backpack behind. As we run even faster, the bottle rolls even farther away. Eventually we reach a small hill. Not seeing the change in landscape I force myself to run faster, whereas Alice stops in her tracks.

"Reese, wait!" She shrieks. I look back and realize what she's referring to as my feet skip a step and I begin to tumble down the hill. Grass and soil infiltrate my mouth and in my blurred vision I see before me a large root sticking up from the ground is my only stopper. Before I black out, a single thought occurs in my mind.

_I've __**got **__to stop with the near-death experiences._

-;

I wake up with a start, my body completely fine after the pleasant tumble down the hill. Much to my surprise, I'm not at the circus. I'm not in my room or the medical office at the Park, nor am I kept away in Blood's mansion. The place is too drab to be the Tower, and there's not enough red in the walls to be Castle. _Where am I? _I twitch my nose and stumble out of the large bed, gradually recognizing the objects in the room. _My suitcase… my clothes from the day I met Alice and my teddy bear? Whoa, I'm back in England!_

I jerk forward, rushing out the door. "Mom, dad?! Hey, bro, are you here?" I shout, using my hands to amplify the sound. No answers come to me, and I hiss, moving downstairs to see if they're eating breakfast. "Hello?!"

I hear a soft rapping on the wall behind me and I turn around to see Alice again. She rubs her eyes, looking upset with me.

"Reese!" She grunts, yawning in-between words. "You idiot, I told you to look out and—"

As though she just realized I was actually in the house with her, not Wonderland, her magnificent blue eyes widen. I nod smugly, leaning on the marble kitchen counter.

"Yeah. That's right. I'm home!" Her jaws drop and she reaches out her hand, touching my chest to affirm it.

"I hate to break it to you, but you're only dreaming!"

"Really?" I ask. "How do you know?" She rolls her eyes and gives me a dumb look.

"I've visited you enough times to distinguish being present or just visiting through a dream."

"That sucks… but still! Just to be back here feels good. Where's my family?" She guardedly raids the fridge for milk.

"They're out looking for you… they've been doing this every day since you left!" A warm, happy feeling envelopes me before reality bites me in my nonexistent balls.

I sigh, "So now we know I can dream-travel, too, but that's not going to help my case any. If they're looking for me…" I trail off, looking out the kitchen window. The sky is dark and brooding, like a sign of impending danger, and lightning flashes off in the distant countryside. "I have to find a way to come home. They must think I was kidnapped or killed!"

Alice nods gravely after me. "I'll do my best to help you. Well… I can't tell how long it'll be before you wake up in Wonderland again, so how about we just talk?"

"All right. How're you doing here? I mean all this must be like a major culture shock, right?" She laughs, patting a napkin at her lips to wipe away traces of milk.

"A lot of what your family does is new to me, but it's really nice. It reminds me of being with my own family, sort of. Your brother has been kind enough to assist me in adjusting, though I hadn't told him my story. I guess it's a good thing he can't figure out I was born over a hundred years ago." We laugh in unison and I lick my lips upon seeing her pour a bowl of cereal.

"You certainly have a lot of new foods and electronics. I can't stop watching the T.V., either." I grin, resting my head in my hands.

"What's your favorite show?" She scrunches up her nose in thought before deciding.

"Adventure Time is pretty interesting… your brother showed that one to me. Also, I sifted through your recordings of 'Ghost Adventures'. I must admit, I can understand why you're so into supernatural beings and all. They're an intriguing trio."

I fist pump and kick my legs. "Aw yeah! I've converted yet another helpless soul into ghost hunting. Congratulations." She smiles in return and eats, making sure to not talk through her chewing.

"Mm! I almost forgot!" She sets down her spoon and taps her glass of milk. "Your sister was flown out here to help with the search. She was downright mad when she arrived, too!" She shivers, closing her eyes. "Your sister is rather vocal about things. When we went to pick her up, she was yelling at nearly everyone who wasn't a part of your family. She even came after me! So she's out searching for you too."

_Oh, sis… I'm sorry I had to drag you out here. I promise I'll come home soon! _Suddenly the world shifts and my eyes try in vain to re-adjust to the change in pace. Alice takes note of my bizarre reactions and smiles softly.

"It seems you're starting to wake up. We might as well get you back in bed." She takes my hand and leads me away from the kitchen, back to my room in the house. It takes me up to now to realize how large and winding it is, with extra rooms, staircases, and pane glass windows galore. Finally she tucks me into my bed and promises she'll fix the bed before my parents return.

"I'll see you in our dreams." With that she closes the door and I wait a moment or two before staggering out of bed again.

"Argh, I can hardly see… but maybe this will work?" I pick up a pair of jeans and a comfortable t-shirt, socks, and my converse and take them in a bundle with me to bed. My mind drifts off and I begin to sleep again. _It's a dumb idea, but let's hope this'll come back with me to Wonderland… _I yawn and toss to my right side, snuggling into the blanket my mom made for me when I was little.

-;

"How is the outsider faring?" I open my eyes and stare at the ceiling, knowing Vivaldi's voice over anyone else's.

"She's just fine," Julius says coolly, opening the door. I sit up and look around for the clothes I tried to bring with me to Wonderland. Looking at the floor beside the guest bed, I see my backpack was retrieved from its place in Joker's forest, though it looks a bit bigger than before.

"Hey, you're up!" Ace shouts, climbing into the bed. I squeal and pull back, pressing my back against the wall.

"Why are you always invading my privacy?" I snap, wrapping myself in the covers. He only smiles and touches his gloved thumb to my cold nose.

"Because it bothers you so much. So what happened? You ran off and I found you passed out by a tree trunk in the forest. We almost thought you died, haha!"

"Way to sound vaguely upset, Ace."

"Well you're here now, aren't you?" I lean over to see past his figure and see Vivaldi gracefully entering the room.

"We are pleased to see you're doing so well." I almost see a vein pop out of her pretty head. "Knight! Get off that bed, you insufferable fool. Can you not see she is bothered by your presence?" Still smiling like an idiot, Ace leaps off and stays by the side. Vivaldi then snaps her fingers and in comes Five, holding a package in the shape of a bear. He hands it to me and bows.

"For you, milady, courtesy to her Majesty the Queen." I unwrap the gift while Boris, the twins, and Pierce enter the room. Immediately I scream in delight and shake back and forth on the bed.

"A teddy bear! Oh, he's so cute! Vivaldi, thank you so much!" I hold the object to my chest, "It looks just like my bear from back home."

Vivaldi nods. "We hoped you would like it. Now," she turns to the door. "We will be taking our leave. Get well soon." She glares at Pierce on her way out and he whimpers, only joining me on the bed once Five, Vivaldi, and Ace have left.

"Pierce, I didn't let Ace on the bed. I'm not going to make you an exception," I sigh, gently pushing him over the edge. He whines and tries to come back up, only being stopped by my foot.

I look to the others, seeing how quiet they are. "Hello?"

Boris flicks his tail. "Hey there." My eye twitches in severe annoyance. _He's doing it again! _Dee stares blankly at me, not uttering a single word._ The twins are doing it too. This is just ridiculous. It looks like my broken vial theory is true. I just wish I knew more about it…_

My tone almost snapping, I turn and smooth out the sheets. "Well if you're not going to do or say anything, you might as well leave, you know? I'm getting pretty tired again."

"Fine by me," Boris says curtly before exiting. Elliot peers in and beckons the twins to their job, though they complain. An argument breaks out and Dum raises his axe at the bunny-boy, who threatens to draw his gun.

I snort and fall back in bed, suffocating my face into the stuffed bear to muffle my ignored badmouthing. Pierce quietly sneaks under the covers beside me and I let it slide, having gotten tired of his antics for the day.

_Looks like I'll have to find out more about this vial and such. If it's broken, I'm not making any progress with these guys. They'll just continue to like me and then hate me; that won't do much to get me home. Nightmare will probably help me. He's pretty indifferent._ I lift the pillow a second and see the twins' bored faces again. _Ugh. In fact, it seems like Nightmare is the __**only **__one who'll help me._ It's clear a trip to his office upstairs is in order.

* * *

**AN:** I need to update my other stories. Other than that, if you have any questions or comments, please say something!


	13. The Little Incubus That Couldn't

**AN:** So my good friend Devin suggested I make a one-shot-ish thing based on Alice's time in the real world (with Reese's family). How does that sound?

* * *

As soon as there's nobody in sight I leap out of bed and open my book bag, entirely thrilled to see that my clothes are inside as I thought. I snigger to myself, "Hah! I've got Mary Poppin's bag right here. Sweet babies!" Slipping inside my jeans, snug tee and shoes, I peek out my bedroom and see the halls empty. Hurriedly, I hustle up the tower and sneak into Nightmare's room, hoping it's not the wrong place. I'm disappointed to find the magnificently green room virtually empty. I sigh and turn to close the door when Nightmare himself pops up out of nowhere, surprising me. I squeak and jump, falling down onto my bum.

"Well, this is a nice surprise. You seldom visit me." I brush the hair out of my face and draw myself up. Gray comes in behind and offers a smile, until he takes heed of my outfit.

"What's that you're wearing?" I look down and puff out my chest, placing my feet far apart while jabbing my thumb to my chest.

"Only the coolest clothes ever! You dig it?"

"They're a little peculiar," Gray admits, sighing. He then hauls the stack of paper he's holding to Nightmare's desk and shoots a disturbing look to the incubus. "While it's a pleasure to have the young woman visiting us, you need to get to work." Nightmare juts out his lower lip and quavers.

"But she has something to ask us!" I cover my mouth to suppress my laughter and gesture towards the brown writing desk.

"You can talk and work at the same time! What a radical concept, I know." Glaring daggers at the amber eyed spectacle and I, the Lord saunters over to his desk and hastily snatches up the first paper, scribbling some words on it. I grin and grab Gray's wrist, leading him to the clover-shaped, evergreen seats just a few feet away. Snuggling into the fabric, I writhe and try to formulate my words.

"So," Gray begins graciously, cumbersomely shifting in his seat. "You needed to speak with the two of us?" I nod and sit up straight, smearing my shoes across the tile in a manner that I can hear Nightmare muttering words of disdain to himself from behind me.

"It's about the, um… the vial?"

Nightmare stops breathing for the slightest of seconds, pure shock shining in his visible eye. But a second later, it passes, and Gray's right on the case: "Oh, so you know about it? What questions do you have then?"

I push my index fingers together before cautiously withdrawing the object stowed away in my backpack. _I guess Alice returned it after I passed out, and before the others came to look for me._ Deciding against better judgment, I place it within Gray's lap and he squints down before picking it up, and audible gasp escaping his lips.

"It's…"

"Broken?" Nightmare interrupts, having appeared beside me before I could notice. The two men exchange the shattered vial a few times, as though the crack would repair itself before our eyes. It obviously doesn't. Rolling my brown eyes, I snatch it back and slip into my jeans' pocket.

"Yeah. So do you know what that could mean?" Nightmare settles himself beside me and raises his hand to his chin, stroking it in thought.

"... Not a clue." Gray and I share a groan and Gray pats my shoulder, trying to comfort my dejected state.

"Don't worry! If it's been broken this whole time and nothing bad has happened, I doubt something will come up now." I tilt my head and gently shove his hand away.

"Well... that's the other problem. I was told that, to go home, the vial would have to fill with liquid. And in order to fill it, I'd have to interact with the role holders here. Remember when I told you about Boris and the twins' weird behavior?" I look over at Nightmare, whose eye lights up as though he just fit together two obscured puzzle pieces.

"That's correct!" He stands up suddenly, almost knocking me over in the process. "If your bottle is broken, of course it'd never fill properly." Gray pales, sending me a grave look.

"Which means you can't go home..."

I nod, worrying my lower lip until it bleeds a bit, coloring my lips red. "But I_ have_ to get home. I can't stay here! So do you know of another way out of Wonderland, Nightmare?"

He looks a little crestfallen-almost hurt-by my words but then he nods and begins to pace back and forth while I sit Indian style on the couch, careful not to stain the fabric with the specks of dirt on the bottom of my Converse.

The lord stops and gazes down at me, and it's only at the moment I realize how tall he is. _Come to think of it, I'm a tad on the short side... dang these grown men._ "Who told you about the Game, anyway? And who made you drink the liquid from the potion? Where did you even get that?" His tone is slightly demanding and I shrink back, keeping my innermost thoughts to myself. A moment later he breaks and whines, bending down to meet my eyes. "Aw, come on! Don't block out your thoughts like that! It's driving me crazy..."

I snuff, "Maybe you shouldn't invade others' minds then."

"I can't help it!"

Gray waves his hand, as though to shoo Nightmare away from me. "All right, you two. Let's get back to the topic at hand... Miss, if you may?" I sigh and begin to answer Nightmare's questions.

"I don't even know what 'the Game' is so I can't tell you that. Nobody made me drink anything so calm down with that. And I guess I had it in my bag all along, but I never noticed." Nightmare fumes a bit but accepts my words for what they are and drops the subject. Suddenly a knock rasps at the door and I skip over to meet it. A maiden waits outside, her hands clasped before her.

"Excuse me, but Lord Nightmare is needed downstairs." She says softly, bowing before me. I turn to relay the message but Gray and Nightmare are already gathering their belongings.

"Looks like we'll be parting yet again, little lady." Nightmare says smoothly to me, grinning. I blow a puff of air into his face.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll be back before nightfall to discuss things even more, though. I promise you that." He walks past me and Gray stops, smiling warmly.

"You and I will have to get better acquainted when time is not running short." I nod and we shake hands before he follows the other two down the stairs, leaving me to my own devices. I sigh and look back at Nightmare's desk, with the piles of paper still stacked and untouched.

I sigh, grasping a sheet between my fingers. _What a lazy man..._ A devilish thought plagues my mind. _Hmm. Perhaps I should help him? _Slowly my fingers curl around the pen laying beside the stack and begin to write.

-;

I parade down the path to the mansion, feeling utterly confident in myself. I twirl along the dirt and smile. "Man! It feels ridiculously good to be in shoes and be wearing normal clothes. I can't wait to see that haughty Blood's face when he gets a load of my—"

I stop mid-step, hearing the sound of gunshots nearby. A scuffle occurring in a clearing nearby catches my immediate attention and I creep into the undergrowth, trying to see the mess. A shiver of remembrance encases my body for a second as I think about the faceless man I injured. _I really must get over myself. I can visit him sooner or later, anyway. How long ago was that...?_ _  
_

"Get back here!" I jump at the sound of Elliot's voice and I step back, with everything going silent. Before I back out of the bushes I see a glimpse of blood seeping into the ground, staining it.

"Whoa..." I breathe, drawing myself up. "What's Elliot doing?"

"That's none of your business." I whirl around to meet the stranger, but before I can register what's happening the side of my head meets the butt of a gun, and I fall into someone's arms. My vision tunnels in and out, and I can barely realize I'm being picked up. I catch a small piece of a purple patterned scarf and I inwardly groan. _Oh, great. It's Elliot! He must've thought I was an intruder. At least I'm not dead. Yet._

At the moment defeated, I opt to stare at the ground, my body rocking back and forth on the bunny man's broad shoulder. I'm embarrassed to admit that it's a surprisingly comfortable ride to the mansion, and my feet are relieved to have some... well, relief.

Minutes pass as we finally enter, with faceless servants hurriedly greeting the role holder before returning to their duties, without a second thought of who he might be carrying. _They must be awfully used to this. _

"Ah, Elliot. I see you've brought a guest?" I hear Blood's faint, snobbish voice. I grunt in response and Elliot stiffens, settling me on the couch.

"A trespasser," he introduces briefly before I raise my head, earning an almost spitting noise from him again. "W-wait... Reese?!"

I wheeze and rub the side of my head, the throbbing subsiding only vaguely. "That'd be me."

"What happened to your clothes?" He whines, completely taken aback. It's like he's reading a novel and he thinks he's got the ending figured out until a plot twist comes and ruins everything that's good and holy in the world. Blood, who has rose from his desk to come and taunt me, taps his finger against his porcelain lips.

"Young lady, it is quite rude to sneak up on others when they aren't looking." I toss my bangs out of my face and look up at him.

"How'd you know I was sneaking up on Elliot?" Said man turns red in humiliation and I blink a few times. _I probably shouldn't have said that._

Blood's lips curl into a slight smile. "How else would he have discovered you? After all, we are mafosi. It's a sort of intuition."

I attempt to stand myself up, only for the pounding in my head to begin again. "Ugh... do you have any pain medication?" I plead, with Elliot frantically trying to help me out in any way he can. Blood stares at me thoughtfully before waving his hand, an apparent signal for the bunny to exit the room.

"I should have something. Elliot, return to your duties. I'll call you if I need to." The orange-haired spectacle looks extremely hesitant for a moment, but he nods and scurries out. I look after him, feeling oddly irate at his ability to obey Blood's every command. _This is gonna end badly for me._

Much to my surprise, the mafia boss doesn't go off in search of pills at all. Instead, he plops onto the seat beside me and watches me in my state of pain and confusion. "You really are a klutzy person, aren't you? Always getting into trouble."

I give him a long, hard stare. "Wow, way to sound as creepy as you possibly can in this sort of situation."

"I could do worse."

"Right. So, about that pain medication, again?" Another wave of uneasiness hits me and I fall to my side, my head hitting the couch. _This is really intense. I think it's from falling earlier and then being pistol-whipped just now. My life should just be the next installment in a Series of Unfortunate Events._

I feel a soft, fuzzy blanket being draped over my body and I curl into it immediately, savoring the warmth. Blood swoops down and whispers into my ear, ever so softly, "Sleep tight, miss. I'll be here when you wake up."

_Huh..._ I yawn and drift off to sleep again, like the lazy and incompetent bum that I am. _For all that he is, a possible womanizer and stand-offish freak show, I suppose Mr. Dupre can be pretty chill. Only sometimes. _Right before I fade off I see him waltz right back to his desk, returning to his paperwork. _**Just** sometimes._

* * *

**AN: **So that was my lazy, short chapter because I realize how long it's been since the last one. So I guess this really is just a filler (and I may or may not edit it later) but it goes into the next chapter, where we have some fun times with the Mafia crew! Someone asked for it, so yeah.


	14. A Hare Out of Place

**AN:** … Well, would you look at the time! Golly gosh, it's uh… been a while. Yeah. Don't shoot me, I'm fragile.

* * *

"I hope you realize I'm not afraid to make you feel as miserable as I do, sir."

"I'm quite aware of that, young lady. However, I will warn you that it's not very wise to mess around with a powerful man such as I. You may find yourself with more than just a bruise to the head." Blood sneers back at me, still maintaining that elegant façade of his. I smirk and roll my head around in my palm.

"I'm not afraid of you, kitten. Besides," I dig my nail into the table and cause a small dent to form, "you shouldn't underestimate little girls. They can be _quite_ feisty."

Blood sips crudely at his tea, and I silently hope it has gone bitter. _Just like his attitude._ My mind wanders back to waking up in his study, curled into the fleece blanket he set over me. Naturally, he abandoned me in the room and I stumbled down the hallway to run into a servant, who was coming to fetch me. Blood, Elliot, and the twins were already outside in the garden, waiting for me to arrive at the midnight tea party.

I joined them and wound up taking up a whole side of the table to myself. The twins sat at the end, Elliot sat right across from me, and Blood had his little throne going on. Unfortunately, Blood's caring disposition had long vanished. _He didn't even say hello when I came out. Jerk._

__I sigh to myself and try to think optimistically. _Maybe Blood really isn't such a sour guy. Just because he can be sort of stand-offish and cocky doesn't mean he is as horrible as I keep thinking. Like mother always said, give others the benefit of the doubt!_ For a half second I feel my stomach knotting up at the thought of my mother. _G-gah! Push that feeling away, Reese. It'll do you no good._

Elliot smiles and shovels down a forkful of carrot cake into his mouth. After swallowing and clearing his throat with a quick drink, he stares at me and relates back to the topic we were speaking of. "Alice was pretty aggressive at times. She wouldn't hesitate to tell us off if we were acting up."

Dee slumps in his chair at the other end of the table, already bored. Dum, however, rests his elbows on the table and leans towards my chair. "For once I agree with the newbie hare, but we liked Alice's outgoing personality!"

"Yeah, it's what made her special to us," Dee sighs, both boys growing a look of contentedness on their baby-faces. I dip my pinky into the tea before me, knowing I won't drink it, and send an odd look to all three males. Blood takes notice of my quietness and decides to point it out for everyone else.

"Something on your mind?" I blink a few times and realize I was staring at Dum the whole time. Awkwardly, I turn to my tea-cup and trace the rim with my baby finger.

"Oh! Just, you know, a little curious about something… you all seem awfully attached to Alice. I mean, it's not my place to intrude, but sometimes it seems you're a little _too_ friendly with her." _More than friendly, really. When we were returning from the circus, nobody protested me saying they were in love with the poor girl_.

Elliot's right ear flops over as he plows through the carrot-based food items. "What'cha mean?" I puff out my cheeks indignantly.

"Nothing."

Blood's lips curl into a knowing smile. "No, please say what you must. Clearly, if you were so preoccupied by your thoughts that you chose to ignore us, what you have to say _must_ be important." I shoot him a dark look and continue on.

"I mean, I was just thinking… Like I said before, I _really_ don't meant to be intrusive or anything—"

Dee and Dum urge me on, leaning their elbows on the table. Elliot briefly scolds them. I scratch my cheek in slight trepidation, but manage to continue on.

"Do you guys like love Alice? Er, not as a sister. I mean do you love her in a romantic way?" The three hooligans exchange a look while Blood remains silent. Suddenly the sky's nighttime glaze melts to dawn and I hop onto my feet, knocking over my chair (I get jittery as I'm ignored; horrible vice of mine that I seem to have inherited from my brother). As the men draw themselves up, they give me odd stares and I clear my throat.

"Um… You have yet to answer my question." Blood looks to the sky with an amused look, then back at me in disdain.

"I do believe we're done for the moment. The tea party has ended." I fume and stare at him dead in the eye.

"Well, I'm changing the rules!" Almost instantaneously, the sky blossomed to a midnight blue again and the stars billowed out into the changing atmosphere. Blood's head snapped up quicker than a monkey on a cupcake while Elliot and the tweedle-dummies stared in awe. Suddenly Dum leans across the table, giving a toothy grin.

"Whoa, how'd you do that?"

His twin chimes in, "Yeah, tell us! Wait, no—just do it again!" Elliot huffs and grabs them by the collar of their uniforms, much like a mother.

"That's enough, you twerps. Get back to work!" The three hurry off, bickering and slinging curses at each other all the way, while the womanizer returns his viper-like gaze towards me.

"Most interesting," he sneers icily, pushing in his chair with the tips of his finger. "You will have to show me how you managed that, someday. I'm eager to find out." With that, he swirls around and saunters off, probably to find some poor soul to project to.

I sigh and rub my chin, my eyes wearily looking towards the darkened sky. "Now what? I suppose I might sleep a bit… Ach, no. I've done enough of that already! I can't really leave the place, though. Maybe I can go bother one of the guys?"

I grab as many dishes as I can, much to the surprise and dismay of a skittish maid, and lumber back into the mansion. Once I dispose of the dirtied tableware, I begin to tiptoe about the area; in my search of a victim to bother, I discover the bustling March Hare slinking out of Blood's office. I stow away behind a corner and wait for him to head in my direction before I leap out and shriek.

"**_Yargh_**!" His ears quaver and spring up, and almost immediately he draws his gun from its sling. Appalled, I step back and wave my hands before me. "Whoa, whoa, I didn't mean any harm there, Lone Ranger." His ears flop back down and his scolding face reappears.

"What do you think you're doing? I almost shot you right in the clock!"

I stick out my lower lip. "My what?"

Realizing his oral blunder, he pushes his palm to his cheek and sighs. "I—I mean your heart. I almost shot you in the heart." I nod, smiling half-heartedly.

"You sure did! I was prepared to dodge the bullet, too—"

"Don't say such ridiculous things! What are you up to, anyway?" I scratch an irritating spot on my temple nonchalantly and try to come up with an answer better than 'I was trying to find someone to annoy until I get tired again'.

"… I was seeking some sort of spiritual revelation; tell me, does this place have a Zen room?" Entirely zombie-like, the hare stares at me until it feels like he's trying to grade the flavor content of my brain, but can't because it's so rotten and unused.

"You know what? I think I'd rather let Blood take on that question. You're a little too much for me to handle at the moment." He begins to head back to the office when I run forward and yank at his patterned scarf. "Wh—what are you doing?"

"Come on, don't get Mr. Suave. He's just going to slip me a sleeping pill again, and I don't really want that. Have a heart!"

Elliot groans, loosening up his scarf so I don't accidentally suffocate him. "I would if I could understand a single word you were saying!" We duke it out in the hallway, drawing much unneeded attention from stalwart maids and servants. It isn't until we hear the clicking of a nearby door that we halt, recognizing the hard thump of Blood's boots against the floor. Without a single word, but rather an exchanged glance, Elliot and I race off into the distance to escape the impending wrath.

Once we reach the other side of the corridor, we stop for breath and I fall onto my stomach on the carpet, feeling lame. "We probably interrupted his work."

"Mhm."

"Which means he's probably going to make a delicious stew out of us."

"Mhm."

"Well, maybe out of you. I heard rabbit tastes good." I turn my head to the side a bit and smirk, waiting for the words to settle in.

"Mhm—_hey_." I chuckle and roll over, putting on an innocent aspect while Elliot shoots me a cross look. "Don't push it."

"So scared," I respond monotonously, shrugging off my backpack. Without giving it much thought, I unveil my handy dandy notebook and begin to record the day's events within. Apparently interested, Elliot steps behind me and peers over my shoulder to read the diary as I write it. Paying him no mind, I finish the short, summarized entry and nostalgically read over past logs.

Elliot, gracious enough to lend me time to myself, seats himself on the floor and patiently watches the wall. Whilst reading, a thought occurs to me and I crawl forward, meeting up with his large back. "Hey, Elliot?" I tug at the hem of his jacket childishly, and he looks over his shoulder for a brief second.

"Yes?"

"If we're in Wonderland… how do you all speak English?"

The expression on his face gives me all the information I don't need to really know, and I retreat in shame to my tossed away knapsack. Folding it open, I stuff the notebook back inside and the vial rolls back out. Thankfully, I'm on elevated floor so it doesn't get very far. Hearing the item move across the carpet, Elliot turns around and reaches forward, grabbing it before I can.

"Hey, give that back." He ignores me for a second and inquires me thoughtfully.

"It's broken?"

"Yeah. I mean, that's what I'd assume, you know? Can't hold anything in there," I note expertly, watching as a small drop of earned liquid falls to the surface beneath our crouching figures. Elliot's ear twitches and he smiles.

"Not a problem! I think I can fix this for you."

My future looks bright; my heart sings and my mind soars to new levels of respect for the golden hare as angels sing a tragically beautiful melody in the background of my fantasy. "You can?!" I answer exuberantly. He nods and stands up, offering his hand. I eagerly take it and we set off.

"Just follow me!" And it's off to another adventure.

* * *

**AN:** Kind of a super-lame-filler thing but it's better than nothing. I couldn't stand not seeing this updated. You guys, it was awful not being able to write these past few months.


	15. Lethargy and Clarification

**AN:** Heigh-ho, heigh-ho, it's off to work we go—I have no idea how Elliot is supposed to talk or act. Also, does Wonderland even have a hospital?

* * *

Soldering the vial ultimately failed. So did gluing it back together, since I didn't have the full bottle in the first place. And thus the remainder of my time with Elliot had been wasted experimenting with carrot icing and carefully filling in the cracks of the bottle, then letting it dry and harden up. Naturally, the plan was a disaster and Elliot went on a little rampage for 'wasting his precious icing', but I'd like to think we had a bit of fun together.

After we had disposed of the caked-icing remnants entirely, I decided to rummage through the mansion's kitchen, blundering about for a midday snack. It wasn't really fitting to my needs, as there was a shortage of junk food and CapriSun pouches. It also took until a minute ago for Elliot to finally initiate some form of conversation.

"What are you looking for, anyway?" Almost surprised by his lingering presence, I look over my shoulder and continue to shove my grubby little thief-hands into Blood's cupboards.

"I'm not doing anything, really. I just have an impulse to look through the stash of food that I don't even eat." Somewhat bemused, he nods and idly peruses the cabinets alongside me.

"Erm, I want to say I'm sorry I couldn't fix your vial. I've never seen a broken potion before, though. Hopefully that doesn't affect your time here in Wonderland." I hide a sour grin. _It's a little too late for that._ "How are you enjoying your stay here, anyway?"

I take a moment to reflect on the question and my time thus far in the lovely country. "Well, I've had at least six or more near-death experiences… I have to borrow clothes from people—oh, remind me to give Blood back his suit. I nearly killed a man, my feet are kind of sore from doing so much walking the past few days, my jet lag is preventing me from getting proper sleep, and I'm terribly homesick." Awkwardly, I scratch the back of my neck while Elliot feigns a shy smile.

"It must be unpleasant for you here then, huh?"

I lower my head and laugh. "Actually, no; it's not unpleasant at all. I've been meeting a lot of interesting people. I've never encountered a human-animal hybrid in all my teenage years in the states. I always thought it was just a thing that occurred in anime and manga. I've never met a 'faceless' before, either. This is also probably one of the most colorful countries I've traveled to—"

Pausing, I reword my previous sentence. "Never mind that. I've never been out of the country until this year. I mean going to England, and then winding up here. I really like it here. Don't get me wrong; I can't wait to return home, somehow, but I'm also beginning to feel attached to this place. I don't even know how long I've been here."

Elliot interrupts, using his fingers to keep count. "Well, you've gotten knocked out a lot so… I would say around twelve or so time turns? I don't know, it's hard to keep track since I don't see you very often."

I close the cupboard I was burrowing through and turn to him. "Time turns… that's where the time of day keeps changing and being weird, right?"

"That's right."

I give myself a slight thumb up. "See, I catch on quickly. Hmm…" I push my index finger to my bottom lip. "I'm sorry I don't talk to you very often. And I'm really sorry I was making fun of you before with the twins. It was way out of line." Elliot blinks before giving off a light chuckle.

"It's all right! You don't need to apologize for any of the stuff. I realize that Blood probably doesn't want us spending time together, anyway…" he began to walk away and I stared after him, more confused than before.

"W-wait a minute!" I hurry after him and admire his profile from below. _He's a really cool guy. I hope that, if we do wind up hanging out a lot, we won't experience the same problems as with Boris and the twins. I wouldn't want to see Elliot being cold to me. I'm not even sure he has the ability to be so aloof!_ "What did you mean by that?" I ask, bringing up the preceding topic.

"Hmm?" He turns a little pale in his cheeks. "Oh, well, Blood just… he just gets a little possessive, I think. I don't know how he'll treat you but when Alice was here, he'd somehow always find us together and take her away." I frown, almost feeling annoyed with the boss even more than before.

"That's awful! Why did you let him do that?"

"I let him do it because he's my boss?" He answers bluntly, sending me a peculiar look. I puff out my cheeks, a now trademark expression of mine.

"That's silly. Don't let him walk all over you, Elliot. You may work for him and be loyal to him, but you're also your own person! If you want to be with your friends, then be with them! Unless, of course, you're skipping work to hang out, in which I would not advocate that sort of behavior." Elliot stops and stares at me, an unknown emotion pooling in his violet eyes. I stop, too, and give him my determined look. "It's your life; your rules."

As he opens his mouth to reply, the twins round the corner and start jeering at him. "It's the stupid chicky rabbit! And he's with _our_ lady." Defensively, Dee steps to my side and clutches my arm while his brother gets into an argument with the hare.

Grimacing, I look to Dee and echo, "Your lady? I don't remember being owned."

"Yeah, you're ours, now!" He smiles back, almost looking like the innocent child he should be. _Gah! I don't know how much longer I can take this switching of affection. Either ignore me or fawn over me, but it's too much energy to do both!_ Feeling the boy's arm entwined with mine takes me back to the day I hit the faceless man and almost killed him. _Oh, yeah, I told him I'd visit him at the hospital! Maybe he's still there now. It's a stretch, but a promise is a promise._ I call attention to the boys and announce my departure.

Dum, who was going head-to-head with Elliot, cries out in exasperation. "Already? You always leave before have any fun!" His brother nods furiously.

"Next time, we'll get boss to force you to stay longer." I rub my temples, but half-heartedly agree to the proposal.

"It won't be for a couple of time-turns, though. I have to visit the Queen for two." The twins openly complain, but Elliot offers to explain to Blood the situation.

"Come back soon, Reese!" He nods his head politely, and I return the gesture before sprinting to the guest room. Upon arrival, I slip out Blood's suit and fold it into a neat pile on the edge of my bed. I scribble down a playful note and slap it on the pile before dashing out of the mansion. Feeling excited, I pass the unguarded gates and make my way to the hospital.

-;

After a long, painful trip jogging to the clinic, I slump against the glass doors and slowly push my way inside. Within, I swerve around several faceless nurses before I finally hit the reception desk. The receptionist regards me with disbelief and asks my business in the building.

"I need to know if a young faceless man who was hit by a knife in the chest area is still checked in." _I should have got his name before he left._ The woman rummages through her available files and plucks a puce folder out of the mound, examining its materials.

"Yes, he is still in recovery. You made it just in time, too; today will be his last day in. Are you… a friend?" I could tell she was about to ask if I was his relative, but obviously that wouldn't be so, as I'm not a resident of the country and I obviously have a face.

"I'm something of the sort. May I please see him?" She sighs and grants me permission, giving me information to his room. I quickly thank her and continue on, in search of the man's room. As I walk through the white walls, another thought comes to mind.

"I wonder," I whisper to myself, "if faceless aren't as important and nobody really cares if they're alive or not, why do they have a hospital? Everything is contradicting itself here." I look at the ceiling and shake my head. "I guess I'm contradicting myself, too. Well, whatever. This must be the room." I stop before a door and carefully open it, peeking inside to see one empty bed and another concealed by a flower-patterned curtain.

Tip-toeing into the room I slowly draw back the curtain and see a familiar face. The man turns from looking out the window into the sunny outside world to me and smiles. "You came," he says lightly.

I pull up a chair and sit beside him, my hands folded in my lap. "I promised I would. So I hear today is your last day in this place?"

"That is correct. I'm being released tomorrow morning. Of course, I'll be expected to return to work right away. Paying off these bills can be a real pain." I blink a few times, unsure of how to answer.

"Are you positive you'll be fit for work so quickly? I would assume Mr. Dupre would be paying for your misfortunes." The man laughs heartily and sits up in his bed.

"That's a bit of a preposterous idea. It's actually unheard of. I would never ask, let alone demand, Mr. Dupre to assume my debts. After all, I'm at fault for spilling my blood upon his property." I twitch, still managing to keep a smile playing on my lips.

"I-is that so…? You sure are a joker. Need I remind you that I was the one who hit you with a knife?" He waves off the incident like it didn't matter.

"Things happen. I knew the second those bloody twins got a hold of me, I was in for some trouble. Although I really didn't expect you to come help me like that. You could have left me for dead, you know." I pat his curled up hand on his stomach.

"Never in a million years. If I had known they were using a living being as target practice, I would have backed out right away. So really, I'm sorry. As a matter of fact, I'll get a job!" A brilliant idea springs to my mind and I stand up. "Yeah, I'll get a job and help you pay off these medical bills!" Alarmed, the man urges me to sit down and reconsider.

"That's really not necessary—"

"Oh, but it is! I mean I've never worked before and I'm not sure what I can do, but I know I can help you out. It's a promise, all right? You can't convince me to do otherwise!" He turns red in the cheeks and subsequently hides the color with his hands. With his nonexistent gaze elsewhere, he mumbles to himself behind his hands before deciding.

"If you insist… I could use the extra help." I grab his hands again and shake them up and down.

"Wonderful! What's your name?" He doesn't answer, so I do so for him. "I'll just call you Joey. You look like you'd be a Joey. Where do you live?"

He states bashfully, "In the village just South of the Queen's Castle. You can usually find me at the library, so…" I nod and smile widely, earning one back. "Thank you very much. You're a kind woman."

"Don't mention it. I'll be happy to help!" Just as I remove the chair from the side of his bed, a nurse strolls in with some food. "It looks like you've got lunch, so I'll leave you be. See you soon, Joey!"

"Goodbye missus!" He calls back before the nurse shuts the curtain and we exit the room. I casually make my way back down to the receptionist and thank her before leaving the clinic.

-;

It isn't long before I find myself trudging back up the mountain to Vivaldi's domain. I figure without Victoria or Ace or Peter to slow me down, I'll reach the gates without a hitch. To my pleasure, I'm correct and I enter the Castle after making myself known to the guards. The territory seems generally empty, so I quickly seek assistance from a working maid to escort me to the guest room to sleep. Obeying, she leads me to my room and I step inside, this time completely able to take in the beautiful sight.

The linoleum floor is sparkly and is tinted a chocolate pink color. A long rug leads to the center of the room, almost like what they have at award shows in the states, but more extravagant. The theme of the room is clearly linked to hearts; the backs of the navy blue and red chairs are in the shape of a heart, large vases attached to the metal structure in the center of the room are hearts with pretty pink lamps hanging from them in the style of a flower petal. The table accompanying the chairs has a tea set placed on it, and in the back of the room sits a vanity mirror next to the long, low-lying bed. I step inside and my face meets the warm kiss of the sunlight streaming through the windows on either side. Along with other items of furniture, I spot the balcony in which I first escaped through on my first night here.

I sigh and sit at a red chair, spinning my finger on the tabletop. "This is one of the loveliest rooms I've ever seen." I almost wish I would have stayed here instead of the amusement park. Suddenly feeling worn out from the day's activities, I wrap the straps of my bag around my rest, set it on the table, and use it as a headrest. "A little nap won't hurt," I tell myself.

-;

Waking up in my bed in England, I giggle and crawl out, now collecting some more articles of clothing to take back to Wonderland. I look out the window and notice the setting sun upon the land. Looking closely into the small hedge maze, I see Alice escorting my family to a charismatic tea party.

My heart throbs and I long to join them, but I know that couldn't make contact with my family, knowing that when I return to the bed in this room, I'll be in another world again. I leave the room and head downstairs. Grabbing my phone and MP3 charger, I juice up their batteries and read my summer reading book for school. While taking notes, I hear Alice's charming laughter resound from the back door before she wanders into the kitchen. _She's probably making more tea. I know my step-father is a nut for that stuff._

"Hey there," I greet casually. She jumps and nearly spills the ingredients all over herself. Whirling around she sees me lounged at the island, my book in hand.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack!" She cries crossly. I grin and return to my book, finishing my notes. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, you're always coming to Wonderland when you sleep. I wanted to see how things were going here, for a change. Besides, last time I came, my family was out and about." She nods in remembrance and joins me at the island.

"They're doing well. I would advocate you go and say hello, but I realize that's probably not the best idea, and I'd be a hypocrite for suggesting it." I turn my book so she can read while we wait for the tea to finish up.

"Nightmare is probably going to complain that he can't reach me if I'm here." Alice regards me with interest.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I talked to him about some things and he mentioned he has a hard time reaching me in my dreams. I think I figured out why; all the times he hasn't been able to get into contact with me were when you were around, or when I was here. I think you interfere with his ability to see me, somehow, and obviously if I'm here and not in the dream realm, he can't communicate at all."

She hums, stretching her small hands out onto the table. "I suppose I understand. You didn't tell him that I visited you though, right?" I reassure her that virtually nobody knows she's been making trips to Wonderland, and she smiles. "That's good."

"I guess so." The conversation stops and the tea kettle screeches on the stove top. The steam billows out from the spout and Alice retrieves it, moving the object off the burner and turning off the heat. "So, I've been meaning to get this sorted out…"

"Yes?" She urges, preparing the tea again.

"Are you coming back to Wonderland or not?" She halts in her duties and asks me to repeat my question. Awkwardly I explain, "I keep giving the boys mixed signals, really. I've told Peter you weren't returning, because he wanted to bring you to the country again. But then later, after the Circus, I kind of said you'd go back once I got home. I'm not sure of the answer myself, Alice. It's your choice to make. I just don't want to keep confusing everyone if they keep asking."

"Well, I…" Alice fingers her dress and looks at the floor in shame. I almost take back the question before she replies. "I'm not sure, yet. I loved Wonderland; it gave me the happiness, strength, and courage I needed to keep on living. And yet…" I patiently wait for her to continue on. "I'm much like you. I want to return home. And, as of now, this is my home. I kind of want to stay here."

I blink a few times, taking in her explanation. Wordlessly, I close my book and leave it on the counter. When I think of something to say, it comes out as a bit of a jumbled mess. Alice picks up the kettle again and starts to go back to the tea party. "We'll figure something out, I promise."

Still unable to reply, I head back upstairs and climb into bed. My mother, step-father, and brother's collective laughter rings in my ears as I doze off.

-;

Tossing and turning in my uber-luxurious bed I finally spring up and notice the darkness settling in. I yawn and yank out my clothes from the house; a neutral gray cut-out shirt and a darker pair of jeans than I had on before. I also brought my black flats with a small bow at the front and some little toe-socks with adhesives to hold them on prevent my ankles from getting rubbed raw. _After all, I want to look nice for Vivaldi. And I don't want to keep borrowing her suits, as lovely as they are._ Before changing I skip out of the room in search for the bathroom—again seeking aid from a helpful worker. I step into the bathhouse and sigh, seeing rose petals set out beside the water.

"Gee, the Queen sure is romantic. I might use these tomorrow, though." Making sure I have no interruptions, I slip into the water and relax. _In reality, I think that in Japan they like pour water on their bodies or something before getting in. At least I remember seeing that on a show, once… Then again, I'm not in Japan._ I finish up my bath and get out. Once I dry off, I put on my new set of clothes and finger through my wet hair while I walk through the halls.

"I wonder if everyone's still busy. I should find out." My thoughts are stopped when Five and I collide. He closes the door he came from and stutters out an apology.

"Oh—! Miss Reese, I didn't realize it was you. Please forgive me," I snigger and press my finger to his lips.

"No need, man. Is Vivaldi in?"

"In? Why yes, she's returning from her garden. You're just in time for supper, too. Please, follow me to the dining hall. She'll be most delighted to see you've visited." I follow in Five's footsteps as we enter the hall, where the royal idiot, his grumpy rabbit sidekick, and Her Majesty are seating themselves at the far end. Vivaldi looks up from her plate and smiles, raising her scepter to the air for someone to grab.

"We are most delighted to see you've visited!" She exclaims and Five and I hold back our laughter. _He was right on the target with that._

"Good evening, your highness," I curtsy as protocol. She beckons me forward and I eagerly take the seat to her right. Ace moves from his seat and snuggles up to me, grinning all the while.

"You came to visit me? That's thoughtful of you, Reese!" He proclaims, earning a sharp glare from Vivaldi. Peter sits across from me, silently absorbing his food. I shove Ace away and look to find Five standing near the wall, his hands folded before him. Looking around, I realize the other maids and servants doing the same. _It must be awkward. I almost want to invite them over, but I think this is etiquette. I suppose the only reason Five joined me for dinner last time was because Vivaldi wasn't present._

"So," I cough, "I'm staying here for two time turns, you said?" I regard the Queen, and she nods cordially.

"That is correct. We want to spend as much time with you as possible. We are still upset you refused to reside with us, but we can understand your position in the matter."

Ace pouts, twirling his fork in his hand. "It's really boring without you or Alice here. The Queen is always sending me out on missions; it's not fair."

Peter butts in, "According to records, you don't do what you're asked anyway." I hide my smile by taking a sip from my glass. Peter turns to me, his facial expression a little bland, but not cold. "In any case, the Queen would like to invite you to a stroll around the garden."

"Really? You want me to take a walk with you around the garden?" I mumble before scarfing down some of the food in front of me. "I mean, I'd love to! It'd obviously have to wait until it gets light again, but that sounds splendid."

"We are pleased to hear this. We will have the maids water the plants right away, so they may look fresh and beautiful for you first thing in the morning."

Ace leans over me, pleading to Vivaldi. "Haha, can I come too?" The woman purses her plump, royal lips.

"We shall consider your proposal." I chime in, laughing nervously.

"If I may add my opinion, I wouldn't mind if he joined us. I think it'd be a nice little outing." Ace slaps me on the back while Vivaldi groans softly.

"All right then. We shall allow the knight to accompany us on our stroll." I nod and look at Peter again, who has been sitting quietly on his side of the table.

"Will you be joining us too, Peter?" He looks up at me, and briefly scans his red eyes over the other two role holders.

"I have work I must finish." He responds gruffly. A little disheartened, I sit back in my chair, but then manage a small smile.

"That's all right. I'll bring you back a blade of grass or something as a souvenir." After a few minutes of meaningless chatter and Ace constantly leaning on me, dinner ends and we all take our leave. I offer to help the servants with the dishes, but Vivaldi insists I leave them be.

"We must go and rest up, now. We have had a long day," she explains quietly, as we're a few feet away from the royal guards. I nod and wish her a good evening's rest before I turn on my heel and head the opposite direction.

_I guess I can return to my room for the night and look through the room a bit more. Or I can even investigate the Castle a bit. It's pretty huge; it might take me a whole time turn to navigate the whole place! _Before I notice a dark shadow looming in a nearby doorway, something slithers out and snatches my arm and I yelp. I feel myself being lifted into the air and over someone's shoulder. The dark color of the assailant's clothing and the darkening hallways offer me no means of seeing and so I shut my eyes and wait for an opportunity to rescue myself.

* * *

**AN:** FYI, Reese doesn't realize that faceless can become role holders. And, I swear this is the last thing, but I just realized the rooms at the Castle probably don't have balconies. Ah, I think there are a lot of storyline and characterization errors in this chapter, so please point them out if you can!


	16. A Little White Lie

**AN:** Reese isn't in love with Peter, per se. She just understands his situation (I'll probably explain why/how another chapter).

* * *

I become accustomed to the soft bumping of my face against the back of my kidnappers' body and I start to think without reason, to pass the time. _I don't know if it's me becoming used to the time change here, or if it's just natural, but I think I'm actually becoming more of an insomniac again. Oh, that's not fair. I wish Wonderland would cure petty problems. _My head slams against the person's back and I hiss a little. _I was __**not** __expecting that. Who is this guy, anyway?_

"Hah, I heard your head hit my back. You okay back there?" I begin to sulk. Instantaneously, I recognize the dreadfully cheery voice of Ace, the castle's fool who is cleverly disguised as a knight.

"How could I have not known you would be the one to kidnap me, Ace? Honestly, I need to use my brain more often. Apparently it goes out of business from time to time." He laughs and yanks me off his shoulder. I slid down his chest and plop onto the ground, turning blue with ire.

The brunette smiles as he looks down on me. "Let's hang out again! I don't have a job to do right now." I shake my head.

"I beg to differ," I state lamely. To my pleasure, a worker rounds the corner and blows up like a pufferfish in Ace's face. Smugly, I recall the past few times my adventures with Ace have been interrupted by his lame duties. I was developing a sixth sense on the occurrence.

"Her Majesty has been requesting your presence for quite some time now! I suggest we both tend to her wishes before our heads roll." Thoughtfully, Ace scratches his arm and then turns to me again, smiling like the idiot he is. For a brief moment, his eyes flash and I feel that he had some magnificent plan that involved me, but it was abruptly ruined by the presence of the Queen's staff.

"That sounds pretty bad. Guess I'll go see the Queen now. Later, Reese!" I stay frozen on the ground while watching them retreat like a pack of hounds that were reprimanded for disobeying their master's orders. Finally I come to my senses and despairingly shout down the hall.

"You can't just leave me here! Ace, take responsibility—!" He ignores me and I groan, forcing myself to stand up. "Well, now what? I don't know where I am..." I decide that roaming around is better than doing nothing, so I hook onto the left wall and start walking.

To my vague discomfort, I spot a door cracked ajar before me, with a sliver of light emitting from a window within the room. With my curiosity piqued, I squeeze through the opening in the door and peek inside. A dark figure sits on a silky white bed, looking rather gloomy. "Hello?" I make myself known, though the person remains un-moving. I'm embarrassed to admit that it takes me a few moments to finally see the floppy ears atop the person's head and I sigh in relief. _Oh, it's just Peter!_ My sigh ends shortly. _Oh. It's __**just** __Peter._

I engage in an epic war with my mind: should I stay or should I go? A third party enters the mental battle and I realize it is The Clash, ready to sing their song in the playful corners of my thoughts. Seeing his unremitting impartiality to reality, I observe what appears to be his bedroom. It's checkered red and white, much like his waistcoat, and it's a little homey.

A ladder to a door is placed in the middle of the slanted room, and two small windows appear above his bed and desk; the desk is adorned with a photo and lamp and some papers, and next to it is a large bookcase that covers the remainder of the wall and then continues along the very back of the room. Two small, chocolate brown couches sit beside the bed and a coffee table is conveniently placed next to it. I smile, having been reminded of a cute college dorm room (with some more space). I clear my throat again and Peter raises his head, looking weary.

Realizing it's just me studying his room, he scoffs out, "How dare you follow me to my room? Have you no privacy?" I blink excessively and decide to not answer; he wouldn't have liked my response much anyways.

"What're you sulking about for? You should get some rest," I usher. He cranes his neck and a few tufts of hair fall over his red eyes. Slowly, he rises up from the bed and lumbers towards me. In response, I stumble back and warily watch his movements as he draws up his un-gloved hands to clasp upon my shoulder. Upon reaching contact with my clothed shoulder, he shudders and acts as though I have the plague, and he's just been infected with a single touch.

"Out." He orders, spinning me around to face the door again. I sniff and begin whining in backlash.

"No way! I just got here. Hey, man, this is no way to treat a guest. Y'know, back in my neighborhood, people would have aneurysms over this ordeal; they would scream and shout and applaud because I seldom left my house, really, and—" Whilst I make my magnificent speech, the irked rabbit prods me to the door. Before he gets me through the threshold, however, I plant my feet firmly on the ground and sputter out some weird sentences.

I continue from before, "I get the weird feeling that maybe you declined the Castle outing because you don't like me? But seriously, you should come with the rest of us. It'll be really fun! I'll even talk about Alice if you want. I'll tell you guys all about her adventures in my world," I stop and try to make it seem as though I don't see her in my dreams and all, "or at least what I _think_ she'll be doing, and it'll be fun because we're all together!" He stops pushing, and I feel his hands trail down my back. For a second, I shiver from the soft touch, but then he whirls me back around and I feel a bout of dizziness settle into my brain.

"Alice?" He echoes dumbly. I nod vigorously as he undergoes a quick mental check. "Wait… if I agree to come along, you _must _promise to speak of Alice, or I will shoot you and leave." I roll my eyes.

"Do I look like that much of a liar? Actually, wait. Please don't answer that." He sighs repeatedly and begins to lower his head in a depressed manner, causing me to panic a bit. "Wh-whoa there, friend. Are you okay? Okay, okay, I promise I'll talk about Alice! Just cheer up already." An almost inaudible huff escapes his cowering form and I force my mouth to keep shut.

"I can't believe it…" he begins, sounding exasperated. His arms slither around my body and I freeze up in horror and fascination as he comes to draw me into a tight hug. "I can't believe that you're my last link to Alice, of all things possible. What cruel fate is this?"

I laugh dryly, practically sensing the disgusting mix of pain and relief flowing from his tone. I squirm in his arm, but for some reason the warmth between us allows me to keep snug to his chest. "You make me sound like an absolute pest. But… as much as it pains me to say this, and _**good lord**_ _does it pain me_, I can be your replacement." Peter freezes in this grip and looks at me, confusion pooling into his blood red eyes.

"What are you talking about?"

With a wry smile playing on my lips, I pull away a bit and poke the middle of his forehead. "I'm not stupid, Peter. I realize that, when you see me, you must become disoriented. You want me to be Alice, and sometimes that's who you see me as, but other times you want to loathe me because I'm not her. Take this moment, for example. You're hugging me, because you think that if you hold me tight enough, I'll somehow transform into her and all your problems will disappear." His eyes now sparkle a bit in recognition, but I speak before he can react. "So what I'm saying is that I'm fine with being your Alice until you come to terms with her decision to leave. All right?"

A few moments of pregnant silence pass over us before he lets go and gives rough pat to my head. I shrink back, but laugh. Finally he moves back to his bed and waves me off. "I'll… consider it. You should get some rest."

"Of course. We'll hang out tomorrow." With a sharp, betrayed feeling stabbing at my aching heart, I bow my head and quickly walk out into the hall. Without letting him see my pained expression, I cross my arms and keep my vision glued to the floor as I return to the guest bedroom.

-;

I didn't get any sleep, but that's because I was getting tired (ironically) of sleeping my wayward days away in Wonderland. Plus, what I'd told Peter had bothered me so badly that I couldn't really concentrate on trying to rest. So I basically wrote some more notes down in my journal, but it was nice re-reading the passages again. Though I began to feel a little bored, so I threw a party-of-one in the guest room and listened to U2.

Twirling around the room, another song came on and I softly hummed along. "Come on, call my name…"

"Reese?" I nearly shriek at the appearance of a new party member but instead I jump onto the center table, knocking over some expensive teacups, and frantically search for the person willing to interrupt me. Half to my surprise, I see Alice all dolled up by another table just a few feet away. Feeling exposed, I shrivel into a ball and nearly fall off the small table.

"What are you doing? Can't you please give me a warning next time you plan on pulling this hoo-doo stuff?" She opens her mouth to speak, but a swift knock on the door stops our conversation rather short. A panicked Five jiggles at the doorknob, calling out my name.

"M-Miss Reese, what's going on in there?" With my face a bright red, I begin to think over the situation. _Okay… first off, what is he doing so close to my room? Secondly, the time just changed so it looks like it's midday now. I didn't realize how quickly time passed—third, what am I going to say since Alice is here? Did he hear her talking to me?_

Alice, sharing my anxieties, hurries over and brings her hands up to cover her chest. It takes me a minute to see that she's wearing my brother's old shirt and shorts as pajamas, but I decide not to comment in order to spare us both an uncomfortable moment.

"Hello? Is someone with you? I'll go call the other soldiers—!" I gasp and race to the door, slipping and sliding along the pink linoleum floor. Almost ramming into the door, I grab the handle for support and forget to try and act natural.

"No!" I answer, hastily, but clumsily, opening the door. Far behind me, Alice leaps onto the bed and huddles under the sheets. Thinking fast, I close the door a little so Five can't see her silhouette parked in the bed. He stares at me with his hallow face and scratches his chin.

"I thought I heard you making a mess in there…" His head moves to and fro as the card soldier inspects what little of the room he can see past my big head. "What happened to the tea set?" He attempts to slide in through the crack in the door but I throw my body in between the threshold and door's edge. I raise my right arm so that it's loosely hanging off the doorknob. _I'm so casual looking now. Surely he'll never suspect there's actually someone in my room. But maybe I can mess with him a little…_ I think of a clever response before grinning.

"Oh, sorry. I have someone in here with me, and we were just getting a little crazy. _If you know what I mean_." Five gives off a spacey look for an instant before blushing profusely and spitting out a rapid response.

"Pardon?!"

"Oh, you heard me. Now may you excuse us? We're trying to play a game here."

"A g-game? This is absolutely uncouth and I'm afraid I must report such activities to Her Majesty—"

Trying to conceal my laughter, I slowly close the door as he talks. Once it's closed, I lock it and yell outside: "Tell Vivaldi that I wish to meet her at the village just south of the castle! There's been a change of plans."

Ignoring the protest Five provides me from the hallway, I stride over to Alice and gently poke her. "He's gone now. Good cover, girl." She flips the sheets off her body and combs her fingers through her hair.

"Was that Five? He sounded odd. What did you tell him?"

"Oh, nothing. Anyway, I gotta get ready. I was going to have a little picnic with Peter, Ace, and Vivaldi but I think I want to drag them out shopping instead." Alice slips out of bed and submits a calculating stare.

"You really think they'll go for it? I mean, that's a bold move. Even I wouldn't really consider it, and I've known them longer." I shrug off her response and freshen up in the vanity mirror.

Glancing at her in the reflection, I brush my hair. "Well, I'm a bit of a bold person, and if they're going to force me to stay here for two whole time turns, I'd rather do something a little more fun that hang about the Castle all day. Besides, I haven't even explored this country all that much. There must be more to Wonderland than a collection of feuding territories."

She nods, giving me a cute thumb up. "I suppose I can't argue with that. Just don't push them around too much, okay? They may be friendly, but every one of the Role Holders can be... dangerous friends."

"You speak like you've experience it for yourself," I joke.

She sighs, rubbing her arm. "Well…" she trails off and yawns while rubbing at her tired eyes. "It looks like I'll be waking up soon. I just wanted to check and see how you were faring."

"Well thank you very much. There!" I stand up and slip on my flats again. "I'm all ready to go. I'll see you around, then?" She smiles back and waves goodbye.

"Only in your dreams. Have fun!" Within seconds she disappears and I head on out the door. Jogging down the corridors, I race to the town to arrive before the royal party does. Thankfully, upon arrival, I find myself in a sea of faceless, so I wait around by a little clothing store near the edge of town. As I peruse the stands and do a little window-shopping, I feel Ace's towering manifestation, so I step back and welcome the trio (not including Vivaldi's many guards).

"We're going to do some shopping! Fun, right?" I shout over the array of soldiers. Vivaldi finally separates them from her line of view and I squeal in delight as she steps out in her suave outfit. "You're looking really casual today, Your Majesty."

She flips her wavy raven hair over her shoulder and walks forward, her heels clicking cutely across the cobblestone street. "We will admit, we were hesitant to come. However, we decided a little fresh air away from the Castle would do us some good. Therefore, we commend you for your decision." Bashfully, I bow and gesture the group towards a quaint accessory store nearby. While everyone shuffles past, I keep a keen brown eye out for a particular rabbit.

I then see his perky white ears bobbing in the mess, but something's a bit off. His eyes are downcast, like he's embarrassed to be seen in public. Not that I'm all that surprised, honestly.

Sneakily, I wander to his side and nudge him ever so slightly. "Glad you could take the time out of your busy schedule to grace us all with your presence."

"…"

"Oh, that's okay. You don't have to say anything, oh Great White One. But might you be gracious enough to join us for a little shopping?"

He mumbles, "Fine, but let's make this quick." I laugh and drag him forward, oblivious to the by-standing Role Holder lurking in the shadows.

-;

"We will not ask again, Reese; do you wish to own this article of clothing?" I cover my reddening face and mutter into my tan hands.

"No! Vivaldi, honestly, you don't need to ask if I want every single item I look at. There's such a thing as browsing for fun, you now." Ace slithers in behind us and plucks out a romantic green blouse. Holding it against me, he grins.

"I like this one on you!" Vivaldi hisses, noting its transparency.

"You incorrigible man. However…" she examines the color again. "We would admire a jacket over top." I glare at the two of them as Ace suggests they find something more risqué. Five chastely stands by a rack for dresses on clearances, and some other guards occupy the space behind the Queen. Peter, in the meantime, stands outside.

Without drawing attention to myself, I slip through the soldiers and meet him outside. "Are you really so anti-social?" I inquire, squatting next to his leg. He steps away a bit and coughs.

"I'm still considering your proposal, so please leave me be." I frown and tug on his pant leg.

"We'll never become friends if you don't stop being so aloof! We need to talk this out, Peter. We don't need to always sound like a bickering old couple." He looks down condescendingly and shakes my fingers off the fabric of his clothes.

"You need to stop bothering me so much. Your lack of respect for privacy and… self-preservation," I narrow my eyes a bit, "puts me off. I can't even bring myself to rhyme."

I stand back up, crossing my arms again. "I don't know what that has to do with _anything_, but it sure doesn't sound my like problem, bucko. I came out here to tell you about Alice and all, but now I suppose that plan's a bust." His ears stand on end and he turns to me, his cheeks a pretty pink color.

"Tell me! Tell me or I'll shoot you!" He grasps his watch and moves in closer, an action I've gotten rather used to.

"Keep the gun away, child. You're too threatening." I puff out one cheek and recall the first time I had tea with him and the Queen. _Did he seriously forget everything I said? I told him what Alice was doing at my step-father's rental home. Gah, whatever. Now's the chance to really mess with this guy._

"Anyway, where to begin? Well, she's formed a gang of her own and is romantically involved with the King of America. She owns her own animal shelter in the countryside of Ukraine, or something like that. Actually, I think she's rented out Chernobyl. All of it. Talk about radioactivity, man. Let's see what else… She chopped off all her hair and now looks just like Anne Hathaway! I'm pretty sure she's put on a lot of weight, though. Oh, don't get me started on her diet—"

Peter, who has borne the most dumbfounded look on his face, hold up his palm and pushes up his glasses. "Hold on a minute. I can't comprehend a word you're saying. How would you know my love is doing all of this—actually, never mind that. _Who_ is this 'King of America' you speak of?"

I look at him inanely. "Of all things you could ask, you go for that." He looks all most guilty for a half-second, but its quickly replaced with more curiosity. As he poses a very awkward question (awkward for me), Vivaldi, Five, and Ace decide to show up at the worst possible second.

"Reese," Peter says squarely, "have you been seeing Alice?"

_Well then._

* * *

**AN: **Shoot, I didn't finish before the deadline, which was like tonight. Something unfortunate happened, so I was extremely distracted. But hey, mini cliff-hanger. Next chapter will continue from this. Where shall Reese go next?


	17. The Village Idiot

**AN:** My first full week of summer ends on Friday. I had all these days to write something. I'm so sorry, readers, but thanks for the reviews! And if _anybody has suggestions for my community_, I'd greatly appreciate it! I have so many stories to filter through because I've been slacking off, and I'm sorry.

* * *

Feigning ignorance to the implication of his question, I fan the left side of my face and look away embarrassedly. "Oh, gosh. Well I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm _seeing her_. We're only friends—!"

Peter hisses, "You know what I meant." Cornered by my own stupidity, I scan over the growing crowd of Castle members and Role Holders. I hastily lick my lips in apprehension, totally unsure of how to answer the question without arousing more suspicion or making a complete fool of myself. Of course, it's probably too late for that.

"Well, I just… I can just assume I know what's going on in my world…" I respond shyly, fixated on the dirt beneath our feet. Directly across from me, I can feel Five growing worried within the tense atmosphere. Ace, on the other hand, puts on an empty smile and slaps my back.

"Haha! You're sort of dumb then, Reese. Alice wouldn't leave us for a world like yours!" I grow unexpectedly annoyed and somewhat offended by this statement, so I return his gaze.

"How would you know what Alice would and wouldn't do? You hardly know her." The knight's captivating ruby red eyes darken for a brief moment before he laughs again. Five, now squirming in his position beside the Queen, tries to stop me.

"P-perhaps we should return to the shopping trip?"

Vivaldi continues to look at me with the oddest of expressions, neither upset nor pleased, while she reprimands the faceless. "Hush, servant. We are trying to listen to the conversation."

Nervously I speak up again, "Don't tell him to shut up, he's only trying to help!" An audible gasp flows through the horde, and even those still inside the shop watch me through the open windows. Once all goes quiet, I recognize my mistake. Too humiliated to look the Queen or her pawns in the eye, I cover my eyes and push through the throng of people.

After breaking free, I feel pressure on my elbow from a gloved hand. Without bothering to look to see who it belongs to, I stop and wait for some sort of explanation.

"Don't… forget your promise." Whispering, Peter tightens the grip on my arm for a second more. I struggle to produce an answer, but my idiocy from a minute before renders me mute. In retaliation, I pull back my arm and hurry away down the streets, narrowly avoiding other pedestrians and curious gazes on my way out of town.

I can earnestly say that was the shortest shopping trip I've ever had in my life.

-;

Outside the perimeter of the village, I walk past Joker's forest and around Gowland's Amusement Park. Wandering in the woods around the park, however, I find some solace and a tree trunk to lean against for the afternoon.

"…"

_I can't believe I did that. God, I'm an idiot. I just spoke in an ill manner to the Queen; she's shown me nothing but kindness since I arrived. Oh **God**, I'm an **idiot**._

"…?"

_What a dumb promise I made to Peter! I must've been high on life when I said I'd 'be his replacement' for Alice. Boy, what an idiot I am. I just can't get over my own stupidity._

___Hmm... Why did I say that to Ace, anyway? _I don't know jack about Alice. She's a complete stranger to me. At least I thought she was. I feel closer to her than a stranger, somehow.

"Sigh… now I know I'm pathetic if I just said 'sigh' out loud. _**Argh**_!" I grab my head and twist from side to side against the trunk. Ignoring the chips of bark clinging to my hair, I clench my teeth and try to make sense of the world I've been dropped into. _What's the point? Why am I here?_

I hear excited screams resounding from the theme park below, so I walk forward a ways and peer over a cliff to see faceless having a ball at the rides below. I blink a few times and observe the highland area I've wandered up onto.

Looking around, I see a faint trail going north. Peering up the seemingly abandoned area, I rub my eyes and walk onward. "There's nowhere to go but forward, after all," I sigh inspiringly. The short, leaf-embellished trail leads me to a large body of water—most likely a lake—and I kneel beside it. Gazing into the clear water, I see my reflection rippling in the crystal blue liquid. The image is tainted momentarily by the sky changing into nighttime once more. I groan and record the occurrence in my journal.

"Perhaps there's a pattern to these time-changes. It'd be best to take note of them. Eh? Ugh, pencil, please don't break on me now!" I set down my log and pick at the wood to try and reveal the tip of lead within the utensil, but the darkness makes it hard to find. I eventually give up and stuff everything back in my bag. As I stare into the water once more, I see the moon making its appearance in the sky above me.

Unconsciously, I take off my shoes and place them inside my bag. As a distant memory replays in the depths of my mind, I wade into the water and shake off the rest of the world for a while.

-;

"Stop you little creep! Oh Christ, you're going to mess up my hair. Do you know how long it took to make it look like this?"

My brother cackles, splashing more water up into my sister's face and hair. "You should have thought about that before we came here. Or you could have stayed out of the lake. Moron."

From the sidelines, I repress my giggles as my sister rolls up the sleeves of her blouse and marches towards my scrawny brother's side in the shallow water.

Though the pond (I'm sure by now it's dried up) was out of sight from the rest of the campground, it was routine for us kids to visit during the weekends, as our family would go camping nearly every Saturday and Sunday. That was the tradition before my siblings entered high school, where weekend homework was almost inevitable.

When it was around, the pond was filled with seaweed-something or other and fish out in the deeper parts, but the three of us would play in it until we were exhausted. Sometimes we would have swimming races across the length of the pond, despite the safety hazards. We all knew how deep the water actually was, and if we needed help, one of us would sprint through the trees to the campground office.

Of course, we were stealthy and aware of our surroundings, for we knew the trouble we'd find ourselves in if the adults were to know of our whereabouts.

Nonetheless, the day playing in my memory was almost no different from the others. My brother and sister were having playful arguments by the outer edge of the pool and I was sitting by the tadpoles.

Watching the recollection as it goes, I find my current self to be an almost invisible party member. Unabashedly, I sit in the sand beside my younger figure and admire the tadpoles scrambling in the low water.

We both look up when my sister lets out a shrill cry for help. My brother, who had moved a few feet away just a few minutes ago, whirls around and regards her with great anxiety. "What's the matter?!"

"Something just bit me," she cries. "I'm going to die!" I watch on as the child-Reese hops onto her feet and stumbles forward in the water, leaving a trail of small waves behind her. She then dives into the water behind my sister, and I gasp, standing up. My brother and sister also react, desperately looking into the area around them for a sign of the child.

Just as I prepare myself to search for her, a mess of brown hair pops out to the surface. As the girl draws herself out of the water, she heaves and lobs around a gray mass in her tiny arms. Squinting, I see the faint outline of a gasping fish.

My sister hyperventilates, holding her chest as if to calm her pulsating heart. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! What the heck are you carrying a fish around for, freakshow?"

My child-self spits out a sprinkle of water and holds the squirming fish close to her body. "It's the monster that bit you! I thought you'd want to get rid of it." My brother bursts into laughter and wades forward to retrieve the fish. He inspects its flopping form for a moment before lowering it back into the pond; exasperated, my younger character watches it swim away. "Why'd you let it go?"

"Because it didn't do anything wrong. You see, Reese, when things are innocent, you should let them go and be free. Anyway, our sister is just a blithering idiot. She wasn't bit at all, and so she definitely won't die. Right, sis?" Reluctantly, my sister rubs the back of her ankle where a small mark has been left by the fish.

"… Right. Sorry for freaking out like that. I really didn't expect you to go after the fish." Child-Reese laughs and removes some strands of hair clinging to her face.

"I was worried!"

My siblings laugh in unison and my sister remarks, "I swear, you'd be the person to sacrifice themselves for even a worthless cause."

I hear the gentle crunch of a shoe stepping on the sand and I look up to see Nightmare, as transparent as I, fondly perceiving the scene before us. "Are these your siblings, then?"

"Yes." I respond softly. Peeling my eyes away from the children, I look up at the man in all his hobo-ish glory. Without paperwork or Mr. Ringmarc to stress him out, he seems rather cool.

As my younger self hauls her tangled and watered down mess of clothes to the shore, she trips and lands first face in the muddy water. I slap my forehead in embarrassment at the recollection while Nightmare's collected manner degrades to a man shaking with laughter.

"How adorable you were!" He coos. I now cease to find him so cool. Reading my thoughts, he sighs and taps my shoulder. I stand up and follow him out of the scene as it dissolves around our retreating forms. I think back to a previous conversation.

"Would this be the dream realm, then?" He smiles, stuffing his hands in his pockets oh so casually.

"You remembered. That pleases me so. Though I'm afraid it's not very impressive at the moment. Are your dreams always so empty?" I block off all thoughts of Alice and look away.

"I wouldn't really know. Sometimes they're wild, and other times I don't think I have them at all." I try to come up with some creative sight to impress him, but to no avail. As we wander the bleak white view, he poses another question.

"Are you spending a night at the Queen's Castle, then?"

I bitterly bite my lip and reply, "Not exactly. I had a bit of a row with the royal pains. I just sort of wandered off after that."

"So you don't know where you're sleeping?" He inquires, hinting at something vague. It takes me a moment or two to understand.

"Pfft, no! I'm just taking a break at the… oh my God, I fell asleep?!" I slap the sides of my head in panic, to which Nightmare reacts curiously. "I-I've got to wake up. Quick, help me wake up!" I beg. He steps away, now utterly confused by my favor.

"What's the matter?"

"Just wake me up, darn it!" I forcefully grab his limp hand and poise it to a stiff angle. Without his consent—which I will admit is rather rude of me—I use his hand to slap my cheek as hard as I can. In a whirl of white and navy blue, I gasp for air in the midst of a blackening sea.

-;

After much effort, I break to the surface of the wonderful mirror lake and paddle for the shore. Somehow, during my memory escapade, I managed to swim out to the middle of the body of water without drowning.

Dragging myself to land again, I cough out the water that was seeping into my mouth and nose during my apparent nap. To my relief, I find my bag untouched and the night sky still present. However, much to my misfortune, fatigue makes itself known again and I shrivel into a ball of misery and coldness while I carefully wring out tiny sections of my shirt.

"Reese?"

"Yeah…?" I answer tiredly, ignorant of the speaker. I hear the sound of fabric rustling against a body before I feel it being draped upon my own shoulders. "Oh, thank you."

"Y-you're welcome." I tilt my head and look behind me, seeing Pierce shaking like a leaf against the evergreen framework of the woods. "Are you okay? You're drenched…"

I laugh and huddle into his coat. "I'm fine. I just took a bit of a swim." Still trembling and probably unsure of what to do, he sits beside me and subtly offers his shoulder to lean on.

"It's not safe to be out here on your own, you know. There are scary people roaming the forest at night!"

I close my eyes and bury my head into his shoulder blade. "What kind of scary people?"

He winces a bit and brings his knees closer to his chest. "People like B-Boris, and the Joker!" I furrow my brow, but keep my sore eyes closed.

"Might I ask you something?"

"Sure?"

"Why does everyone insist on making White and Black out to be the bad guys of this country?" I lift my head and look him keen in the eye. He blushes a bit, but manages to squeal out an answer.

"They are the bad guys, Reese! Please don't trust them, no matter what. They'll hurt you and try and mess with your head, like they did Alice!"

Just the name of the girl who started this mess brings me to my senses, and I spring up in uneasiness. "They hurt Alice? What do you mean? Tell me, Pierce."

He fiddles with his thumb and glances at me a few times. "W-well… I don't think I should. Just keep away from them, please. Everyone will be worried if you start taking to their company—"

"Thanks, Pierce, but I'll be just fine. Nobody can fool the great Reese! A-at least, I try not to let anyone do so. Besides, they've been genuinely kind to me."

Pierce doesn't answer anymore. Instead, we sit in silence and I almost wish for a time-change, but none comes, so my eyes close themselves again and I use the apprehensive mouse as a makeshift pillow. To my relief, he doesn't deny me the comfort.

-;

"… Nah, I saw her mouthing off at Vivaldi. It was pretty damn amusing, if I do say so myself." I toss and turn in my bed, which I assume is in my room back at the Amusement Park. A fever courses throughout my sickly body and I instantly regret my midnight dip in the lake. Opening one eye I see Boris staring back at me with equal amounts of inquisitiveness.

"Were you spying on me at the clothing store?" I ask groggily. He pokes my forehead and corrects my statement.

"No. I was spying on you outside of it, though. Hey Dum, Dee! The mouthy chick has awoken." I open both eyes and sit up in bed, watching as the twins rush into the room. The grins on their faces speak volumes.

Before they can even say anything, I hurriedly explain, "I did not mean to speak so rudely to Her Majesty, I was just really on edge at the moment."

Boris climbs onto my bed and wraps an arm around my shoulder as he taunts me. "Oh, don't be modest. You totally affronted her. You didn't even hesitate!" I nudge him away and bear a smile for the onslaught of mimicry I expect.

Instead, however, the twins praise me for my 'bold actions' and ask what the context of the conversation was. "Well… I was just defending a friend—"

"Ooh, you're against the Queen! It's a revolution!" Dum cries out. Dee quickly draws his axe from God knows where and raises it to the air.

Bemused but disturbed, I plead with the two to calm their imaginations, but by the time Gowland comes crashing in, I know it's all too late. "For all that is good and holy in this bizarre world, let me rest a moment!" Boris scoffs and crosses his arms.

"According to that dumb rat, you were on your own up at the lake. Not only that, but he said you looked like you were drowning before." My cheeks heat up in embarrassment, and I almost swear one could fry eggs on them. "So I think it's safe to say you've had enough alone time, eh?"

"Oh… hush, you." I break into a fit of headache-inducing coughs and force myself to back away from the others in fear of infection. "But really, could you leave me be? I'm really not feeling so hot."

Dum smiles and gathers around my stomach. "I'd say you're quite warm, sis!" I can't stop my eye from twitching at the belligerence of the boys, but Gowland ushers them out of the room.

Once they've gone, he laughs and hands me orange juice to drink. "Sorry I don't have anything else on hand at the moment. You rest up, little one! I'll keep those pesky kids at bay while you recover."

I manage a small smile and imagine my step-father at the doorway beside the park owner. Years older than Gowland and much different from the man, they're easy to tell apart. But my disgruntled brain cannot distinguish the two as my eyes dilate and blur my surroundings.

The shady form of my step-father waves his hand and smiles warmly, his bluish-white eyes shining in the light of the outside world. I wave back to him and whisper out, "See you when I wake up. I love you."

Unaware of what I've just uttered in front of Gowland, I chug some of the O.J. down and crawl under the cool sheets to care for my weary bones.

If anything, Wonderland is a great place to cure my sleeping problems.

* * *

**AN:** So I have a little foreshadowing up in this jawn. I think it's obvious to spot, but we'll see. Sorry that took so long and sorry to cut off that time with the castle crew! I was planning on spending half a day with Peter, then move onto Ace but I have different plans for that fun guy. Let's see where this mishap with the Queen will take our poor girl.


	18. Everything is Embarrassing

**AN:** Hopefully you'll notice a minor change in Reese's behavior (due to her embarrassing incident last chapter). Reminder: Joey is the faceless she shot in Chapter 8.  
I'm revising everything (again) and I changed section names. Every other chapter _should_ be revised by the release of the next chapter. Also, I'll start replying to guests and taking notes to make a timeline of events so I don't repeat/miss stuff.

* * *

I slide my bag across my face and pretend to be a complete stranger in the vibrant park, though I know it's a futile effort, as my clothes haven't changed since I arrived. Right off the bat, a guest to the theme park calls for my attention. I bleat like a mangled sheep and turn around to head back into my room.

I hear footsteps after my retreating figure until the stranger has the guts to stop me with his or her hand. "W-wait a second, please," the stranger begs, and I recognize the fluid tone of voice. _That has got to be Joey! What's he doing here?_

I peek over my shoulder but remain unyielding to my current position. "Hey there, kangaroo boy. What's up?" He ignores my lame joke and lets go of me.

"I just wanted to say thanks again for saving my life before. I really didn't deserve it, but…" He sighs and ceases his talking. I turn around a few degrees more to properly speak with him.

"Really, it's not a problem. I mean, you crazy faceless might have a strong disregard for your own lives and all, but that doesn't mean I'll let any of you die if I can help it." I switch the subject to something friendlier and easier for me to talk about. "How are you enjoying the park?"

He accepts the topic change without hesitation, "It's fine. I came here early with my mother, though right now she's taking a break on the bench behind us. I saw you walking around with that… thing on your face and came over. I hope you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all, man. I was trying to hide from my darling role holder friends, but it appears my disguise is less than effective. But you're not a role holder, and I appreciate your company!"

I peep behind the young man and see a gorgeous sight; the sunset has ascended on the country and caused the marchen park buildings to look like jet-black shadows with unconventional shapes and objects stemming off of them. Sir Kangaroo's nonexistent eyes follow mine, though he sees something rather different.

"Oh!" Joey exclaims. "Did you want to ride the Ferris wheel?"

I snap out of my reverie at once. "Wait, what? What about the Ferris wheel?"

"Did you want to ride it?" I put out my lower lip in speculation.

"I don't really want to inconvenience you and your mother…" _Though I have been itching to go on it for a while, now. It is __**so**__ tempting to say yes. _"Plus won't it cost us money? Isn't that usually how things work?"

He sends me a warm smile and gently takes my wrist. I'm enthusiastic to admit that it is totally unlike the other times the citizens of Wonderland have taken my hand, wrist, or any other part of my body to lug me somewhere (they're usually rough). I quickly give in to the situation and we walk contentedly to the short line.

"Thanks for the offer, man. Anyway, I was thinking of asking Mr. Gowland for a job around the park, since I'm living here. I'm sure he can find me something to work on that won't put me in peril." I stealthily cut out the part where I was once killed for taking a test drive on that blasted teacup ride.

Joey, who had been holding small talk with the conductor of the wheel while I was rambling mainly to myself, holds out a calloused hand for me to use to step into the stagnant cage. I take his hand for a moment and hop onto the cart, but looking behind me, I realize we're the last car to enter.

"Ah, wow, we got lucky! It's usually long to board these things," I muse, observing a double-date occurring in the leading carriage that's located behind ours. The two faceless kiss and I writhe in my seat with an alien-ish sensation coursing through my veins. _This... this picture reminds me of something._ I close my eyes for a moment and delve into my memories.

-;

"Come on, sis, I really want to go to the cotton candy booth! I can go by myself—"

"No, peanut-butter cup, you can't go by yourself. Now just… hush and hurry up. Travis is already all the way up in line to save us a spot!" My older sister jogs up to her current boyfriend and leaves my mini-me in the dust. Once more transparent, I step up to her in my slightly aged body and we sigh in unison before pursuing the love-struck teenager and her cavalier of a boyfriend.

"Reese," Travis says kindly to the small girl while he crouches down to meet her eye level with some veneration, "would you mind if I sat next to your sister on the Ferris wheel?" I can't remember what I felt when he asked that, but child-Reese solemnly nods the group enters the car. I climb aboard without an invitation, not that I'd need one since I'm ghostlike, and sit next to myself, observing the exchange of expressions.

_I still don't know what I was feeling then… but I look a little strange._ Nightmare now steps in the right before it takes off, and he starts to watch like a supernatural spectator from the gate of the car.

"Yet another adorable memory, but what's this?" He bends down and stares at the child's soulless gaze. "You seem rather unhappy. Why is that?"

I laugh and reply, "I'm not sure. I was trying to figure that out myself.

"Well, let's discuss it." He returns to his initial position and all eyes turn to my sister and her boyfriend. They can't seem to notice the tense atmosphere, and suddenly Travis pulls my dear sister into a quick, yet passionate kiss. She greets the gesture with an equal amount of urgency and they entangle themselves into a mess of teenage hormones.

"Erm…" I look away out of slight politeness, though I can't say the same for the kid sitting next to me. She just lowers her head a bit and waits for the ride to be over with.

"It's almost as though they forgot her—_your _presence. I would say that's enough to make one jealous, don't you think?" I frown and peek at the unraveling scene. Though my sister and her boyfriend have not done anything too crude, they continue to see only each other's company, whereas my child self is left sitting by herself on the opposite side of the car.

I watch her turn her head and look out the tiny cage with a wistful eye. "You think I was jealous back then? Why _would_ I be jealous, though?"

Nightmare taps his temple mockingly. "I'm not the one with the suppressed memory. Think back, Reese, and try to remember. Tap into your forgotten emotions to find the answer." I huff at his pomposity but decide he's right.

"Well, I wasn't used to seeing such weird things happening between two people, but I highly doubt I'd be envious of their romantic endeavors. That's not the kind of life for me," I wager. "I guess… I was actually a little envious of Travis."

"Care to explain why?"

I fold my hands in my lap and stare out frame opposite of the incubus. "Let me give you some background, first. My sister used to be a foul-mouthed, but independent girl that wasn't afraid to stand up to the rest of society. She never used to care about social statuses and all that junk. Somehow, as she grew into a teenager, she began to undergo a massive change. She became some boy-crazy chick with virtually no self-respect. She would force herself to change her body image or mentality just to please others, even if she loathed the adjustment, and I really couldn't understand it. I thought she was fine just being herself, but she became so obsessed with being loved that she began to ignore all other aspects of life and only cared about making herself look good so she wouldn't fall off her high pedestal."

"Was Travis one of these boys she would chase after, then?" I nod and take a breather to continue on the explanation.

"Travis was her boyfriend at the peak of her antics, if I remember correctly. My sister told me once that she never really liked him in a romantic way, but he was _really_ popular at her school and she found him especially attractive because he was one of the few people that didn't really pay her much attention until she forced him to. He was a good guy that I wanted to like and accept into the family, but I was really upset that my sister was so intent on catching his eye that she pretty much ignored everyone else when he was in her immediate vicinity. She even stopped calling my brother and I 'idiots' and 'morons' because she thought he wouldn't like it. I always liked when she called me stupid, because that was her true way of showing affection. After they started dating, my brother and I were pretty much cast aside. I mean, my sister _**had **_to interact with my family, but only when she had no other choice and if she wasn't facing Travis' direction. It was that bad."

I look back to Nightmare, who strokes his chin and turns to the couple. "So, to summarize, you were particularly jealous of this man in this memory because your sister gave him attention when she didn't like him and was only dating him to upkeep a bogus social standing? "

I rub my chin before I reply, "Basically. Sorry if I went too into detail, I just…" The child has yet to stop looking out the gate. "I didn't want my sister to be like that anymore. It was hurting her and hurting our family. She had a lot of problems after she was finally put in her place, so to speak. That was quite a few years ago and we've basically patched things up with her, but that small bump in the road really left a mark on me. Ah well! I really shouldn't complain, 'cause I've had a lucky life so far with very few problems with my friends and family."

Nightmare remains silent the rest of the ride, though I notice that at one point he covers his mouth with his hand and keeps it there. I also spot a small drop of blood trailing from his mouth, but I decide to leave that little detail out of the topic. _I'll ask him about it another day. I should get back to the real Wonder-world, now._

-;

I force myself to turn away from the faceless couple and instead pass a smile off to Joey, who is sitting happily across from me.

"Are you all right?" He asks politely. I tilt my head and retaliate with my own confusion. "Well, you sort of spaced out for a few minutes. Though you have good timing; just as you turned back around, I heard some chattering outside. It looks like they've fixed the problem with the faulty controls on the ride."

I blink a few times over and cross my legs. "I've totally lost what we're talking about, now. Was the ride malfunctioning?"

He laughs and looks over the glassless walls at the wheel's operator. "You really _were_ out of it. The control panel stopped working just as we were about to start the ride, though you were obviously in your daydream during the few minutes the employees took to get it running again."

"Oh… Sorry about that. I just got caught up in my own mind." The previously stable car now jumps to a start and we ascend into the dappled scarlet sky. "Woo! This one is a little faster than the last ones I've been on. Ooh, look at that coaster go!" I point to my right and he follows my finger obediently. Most of the lights on the rides have been turned on, and now the whole park is spotted neon colors.

"Are you always so easily amused?"

"Actually, yes, but I can always use the excuse that I'm still just a kid. Are you one of those grown-up people?" I challenge playfully, resting my right arm over the side of the car. Joey scuffs his boots on the metal bottom of the cart.

"I have to be, if I'm working for the mafia family." I take in this information and ask him about his private life or as I find out, lack thereof. We continue to talk about seemingly useless things until our car finally, and slowly, passes over the highest point on the wheel. It's at this point that I express my feelings towards my new comrade.

"I'm really thankful for your company. I love talking to people about random things. You even listen to what I say and respond, which is more than I can say for most other people."

Joey bows his head like the shy guy he is. "I'm rather grateful for your company this evening, as well. You're quite an interesting girl, if I may say."

I lean forward and stick out my pinky finger. "Are we friends, then?" He stares at my outstretched pinky before he finally figures out what to do with it, which is to simply shake it with his own finger. To my dismay, he starts to hesitate.

"F-friends, you say? I don't think it'd be wise for you to make such a declaration… foreigners don't really socialize with faceless."

I scoff at his words and push my finger even farther outward, so he can't ignore it. "We're socializing right now, aren't we?"

"…"

"C'mon, Joey, live a little." He scratches his chin before he finally complies and nervously shakes my pinky with his. "Great! That wasn't so bad, right?"

He slowly retracts his finger and inspects it before looking up at me again. "Does this mean you'll stay in Wonderland?"

As we come closer to the ground, I look over the small walls again until I can properly answer him. "Not… necessarily. I'm sorry if that sounds pretty bad, especially since we just made a pact of friendship, but I will not be deterred in my mission to return home. My family will have definitely missed me by now." I bite my lip until a minor trickle of blood streams down into the gums of my mouth. _Though I haven't really been able to confirm that fact yet… I can't really call them or anything, either. What Katie said before it still getting to my head, as well._

"Oh, it looks like we're off. That seemed rather short to me, but it was immensely enjoyable. Shall I see you on your way to your next destination?" Joey asks in his insanely sweet manner. I can't help but decline the offer with the excuse that he should see to his mother by now.

"Thanks again. I'll be sure to get more info on a job offering and I'll keep you updated, somehow. If you're still working with Blood's gang, I'll stop by!"

He salutes me and starts into a jog to his mother on the bench nearby the guest rooms. I roll my backpack off my shoulders and swing it around to the front of my body so I can retrieve my phone. As I filter through the string of messages from past month's conversations, I see no new notifications from my friends and family.

"Oh that's just great. You're all so eager to talk with me during school, but you can't say anything when I'm M.I.A. and on summer vacation?"

I hear a deep throated purr and jump in fright. "Well, well, well, if it isn't Miss Mischief. What sort of outrageous things have you done today, kid?"

"Hi, Boris," I groan. He grins madly and tags along my hastened stride with ease. "Don't you have a mouse to chase or a park owner to burden?" Though I'm not hampered by his sudden arrival, I feel unsettled by his knowing smile.

"I sure do, but speaking of park owners…" He cups my chin with his slender fingers and draws me closer to his curling smirk. "I hear you've finally confessed to the old man. I had my suspicions beforehand, of course, but I didn't think anything would come of it. Oh, Reese, you're such a naughty girl in an angel's clothing."

I stop and run a hand through my thick brown hair. "Now what are you going on about? I haven't done anything since I came here before the time changed." He shakes his head while nagging another free finger at me.

"It's not good to lie, even if your argument is so weak that it can _hardly count_ as a lie. The deranged old Duke came running to me in the middle of my nap and started on some wild story that _you_ said you loved him." My jaw drops with these words, and I race to speak and stop the absurd tale in its tracks but no sounds get through my vocal chords. "I wanted to ask you about it first, but then I saw you get on board that Ferris wheel with your new buddy. To think you'd do such a heartless thing to the old man! I'm almost proud, but also very disappointed—"

"Wh-what are you saying?!" I instinctively snag the corner of his ear and tug so he cries out in pain. "Boris, you better not be spreading rumors about me…" I look around and buzz in his prankster face, "I _never_ said I loved Gowland. I don't know where he got that from."

He hisses a little and wriggles out of my grasp. Covering his ears from any more harm, he counters, "He told me you said it as you were falling back asleep. So don't hurt me, I'm just relaying back the info!"

Stubbornly I apologize but my blood starts to boil in continued humiliation, as though it is flat water beginning to simmer at a medium temperature. _I don't recall ever telling Gowland that I loved him, so what gives? Hmm… Wait a second. I remember that I thought I saw my step-father seeing me to bed. I said that I'd see him when I woke up, and that I—Oh fudge. I __**did**__ tell Gowland that I loved him, but it was all in the wrong context!_

Without even thinking, I slap my forehead with my left hand and keep it there for a few seconds. "I'm such a flipping idiot!" Boris flattens his ears and watches me in engrossed silence. I glower at him through the slightest gap in my fingers before I decide my next move: I will sprint my way out of the theme park before I have to encounter the owner.

I break into a sprint right off the bat and push past Boris. Our arms slam into each other, but I don't let the brief impact stop me. "Hey, where are you going?" He yells from behind, and of course I ignore him for now. _Sorry cat, but I've got to bounce._

Expertly engineering my body to weave around the pedestrians visiting the park, I reach the entrance and break through the line of faceless trying to get in.

"Er, sorry folks! Have a nice time!" I call to the wind, hoping the disturbed citizens don't dwell on my disappearance too much. I run through the trees and the bushes and every other obstacle in my way until I see the sight I'm searching for.

After quite a bit of running, I finally reach the mystical Joker's forest. Happiness and relief overwhelm my fried brain as I peruse the array of multicolored signs and twisted doors planted on the bending trees. "I wonder if any of these lead to someplace special… They might lead to another country in Wonderland. That would be pretty wicked!"

I calmly pace myself down some strayed paths, hoping one might lead me back to the center where I can find the circus and the Jokers. At last, as I veer to my right and waddle down the road, I hear the cheery music of the circus performances. Before I think too far ahead, I stop and try to keep as still as possible so I don't disturb the sound waves.

"It must be coming from… this way!" I turn a few degrees on my heel and hop over an uprooted tree trunk to cut through the scenery. The music blares in the surrounding area and I come across a playful setup of more signs and flats indicating the way to Jokers' Circus. A few loose balloons float to and fro from their designated tree and bump me in the head. I laugh it off and smooth out my hair to maintain my presentable appearance for the only two (rather _one_, since Black can be condescending) role holders that might spare me more disgrace.

Up ahead I spy a couple of faceless practicing in their own clearing. One girl kicks her legs around in the air as she manages to keep balance on a ball with one hand. I gawk at the woman and try to imagine myself carrying out such a daunting act. _Naw… I would probably fall and break my neck before I even got two inches off the ground. It's best to leave that fantasy alone._

I twirl my thumbs together apprehensively, wondering how far ahead I can walk without getting caught by the performers. I swallow my fears and approach them with as friendly an aura as I can muster. "Hello there! I know you're busy and I'm sorry to bother you, but do you think you could tell me where the Joker is…?"

Four of the faceless mumble something about them not knowing of his whereabouts, but the girl on the ball does not let me down; using her flexible foot, she maintains her perfect form and successfully points her toes in the desired location.

"Thank you!" I bow and jog off. I round a few tents in search of the elusive redhead. I can't say I'm surprised to see he's found me, though.

"Welcome back, young one. What brings you back here?" I begin to answer his cheerful greeting when Black comes along and spoils my secret.

"I heard you yelled at her royal pain in the a** and then banged a few guys or something. Good for you, wh*re. It's nice to see you finally grow a pair."

I fume and turn a bright red in my sudden burst of anger. _That totally defeated the whole point of me coming here, __**thank you Black.**_ Instead of yelling, I start choking out a sentence. "I a-actually came because I wanted to see Brother. Is he available?"

White frowns and shakes his head. "I'm sorry, but he's busy with training right now. If you want, I may accompany you around the circus again." I laugh and touch my arm shyly.

"Ah… I don't want to bother you, really. I've done enough stupid things to last me a lifetime."

"Really, I insist. Though the circus is off limits in between show times, I'd be more than happy to keep you in my company. You look unwell."

I search for some excuse to leave, but his loyal smile is too hard to ignore, so I agree and we begin to walk off. "You've been so kind to me, White. I can't believe you'd take in a misfit such as I."

"We're not taking you in, so just shut up already. You're freakin' annoying." Black's speaker emits a sound akin to him propping up his legs on the table. _I may be annoying, but you're a slacker. Just go do your job and let White spend some time with me, dang it!_ _Ugh… but I do think he is secretly the good guy in this twisted tale, so I guess I'll just let it slide._

I raise my chin up a bit to retrain dignity while I withhold my comments. I will be the better (wo)man, even if it's hard to not argue with the fowl mouthed warden.

I don't attest to the serene arrival of quietness while the clown and I take our stroll, but then I notice the taller man is nearly itching to say something. "White, are you okay? You keep looking down at me like you want to say something." He seems relieved by my intrusion.

"You must be very intuitive. I do, in fact, want to ask you something."

"Hit me, man."

He brushes his hand over my shoulder and I stop walking as he speaks, "Do you, by any chance, have a vial?"

* * *

**AN:** Reese sure does travel a lot between chapters. Also, I just heard that nobody can enter the prison unless they're guilty of something, and Reese entered before during the last show… I'm actually glad I wrote that by accident, because now I can tie it into the plot.  
Will the rumors ever stop for Reese? Probably not. I will tell you now folks. She has a rough time ahead.


	19. Our Lips Aren't Sealed

**AN:** So does Joker's realm have rooms? No? Too bad. But I hear time stops when Alice visits the Jokers.

* * *

"Can you repeat the question?" I ask dumbly. Black complains from beyond the mask about how galling I am.

"It's quite all right. I was curious about your bottle. Have you drunk the medicine inside? You should have done so when you first arrived." I furrow my eyebrows and subconsciously grab the drawstring of my handmade bag. _Why is he asking? I suppose it's a harmless question, but it's still weird._

I come up with the obtuse response of, "What do you think?" White holds one hand under his chin while propping it up with the other.

"I think your flask is broken. I also believe you never took a sip of the medicine. Am I correct?" I start to feel the cold sweat running down my back, but I honestly don't know why I'm feeling so nervous. _He's just making an accurate assumption; what's wrong with me? I need to stop being so tense._

"Well… is that your final answer?"

"What?"

I turn my head away and laugh cumbrously. "Forget I said anything. Let's walk and talk some more, yeah?" We move on leisurely down the trail and I decide to watch the people in the tents, working hard and trying to rearrange their sets so that they can get their routines down. "So… you are right about my vial. Want to see?" I pull my bag to my hip and rummage through to find the cracked item. Once I slip it out, I dangle it over my palm to collect the small drops of liquid spilling out of the glass.

White hums and bends down to look at it. "That's very interesting. Has it been broken since you've arrived?" I nod affirmatively and he observes the dripping liquid for a few seconds more. "I see. I must say, it's interesting to meet a foreigner that is not bound by the rules of the Game. I don't recall such a thing ever happening before."

While he speaks, I shake out some of the blue fluid onto my hand and watch it form a pool of gleaming water in my palm. "Hmm? Oh, I have a question in regards to this supposed 'Game': what is it? I once asked Nightmare and I think I asked Gowland, too, but neither man could really give me a clear answer."

White puts on a brilliant smile for me and begins to formulate his answer while Black just groans a lot from his lonely place in the prison.

"The Game is rather hard to explain, even for me, but I will explain to you some rules role holders are bound to; it may very well explain some of the events that occur here in Wonderland. First off, the Hatter, Queen, and Park owner are not at war without reason. The Game forces them to be in a constant state of struggle, for it's just one of the rules." He pauses for a moment and I take the opportunity to comment.

"That's incredible. So they're frequently at each other's throats because some foolish, invisible law told them to?"

Black sneers in for a second, "Basically. Now shut up and let Joker finish, moron." The Joker standing next to me speaks again.

"Second, I'm sure you've been properly warned to stay away from this forest," he sends a knowing wink my way and I pull on my bangs.

"You know about that, huh? I'm not too fond of the smack-talk myself, so just know that I'm on your side."

White nods firmly. "I'm glad to hear that. Anyway, my point is that the Joker is strongly disliked by most inhabitants of Wonderland. You may be wondering, then, why everyone attends the circus. It is yet another unspoken law of the Game; role holders are obligated to hold events and the other role holders are required to attend such events. When I hold my show, role holders from all territories are responsible for attending, whether they want to or not."

I try to process the information in my muddled brain as he talks on. While I stuff away my vial, another question comes to mind. "But… that still doesn't explain why everyone seems to dislike you and Black—?"

"Can it, wh*re." With little hesitation, I press my hand against the mask on White's waist so that Black stops interposing. "Mmph!"

I smile sweetly at my present, generally nicer companion and insist, "I don't need to know, so sorry if I seemed invasive. Since you know so much, do you think you might know of another way for me to return home? I can try to interact with the role holders and all, but since the bottle is broken, it won't really get me anywhere…"

White stops again and tenderly pries my fingers off the mask resting on his hip. "I'm not sure I can offer you any consolation, but perhaps we can think of something together." I laugh a little and start working my brain as I slap on an invisible thinking cap.

"Well… all right, I probably shouldn't say this, but I have a big secret that could get us somewhere…" I rub my hands together uncertainly, and White notices. As a reaction, he gives a half-hearted smile and taps my shoulder twice.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't wish to," he assures, but I shake my head. _Next to Nightmare, Joker has been the most helpful person thus far. I'll tell them both the truth and see where that takes me. I just hope I don't come to regret this…_

"It's okay; I've been meaning to tell someone for a while, but you have to keep quiet about it! You too, Black," I direct my attention to the mask and he stays silent, for once. "I've been having these dreams from time to time where I can… basically, I can visit my world. I've been there maybe three times already, and that's how I got ahold of these clothes." I glance down at my outfit for a moment before moving on with my story. "I don't know how involved I can get with the real world, but I believe the mere ability to transport items between the worlds can provide an opportunity for departure. What do you think?"

Black speaks before White can even open his mouth. "Wait, how the h*ll can you travel to another world in your dreams?" I find that the warden sounds almost vexed, but I can't tell why. In any case, I try not to linger on the enigma so I may answer his question.

"I don't really know how I can do it, I just know I can. It's not just my imagination, either, because I brought back these clothes with me."

White tips his head cutely and the little bells on his hat jingle with the movement. "It's not something I've heard before, but I suppose your evidence is not to be ignored. How would you return to your world, though, if you always wake up and end the dream?"

I sigh and fold my arms despondently. _I didn't even think about that. If the dream always ends, there's really no way for me to just return home through a dream… I guess that means Alice wouldn't be able to come back to Wonderland in that way, either. Speaking of Alice, I wonder if I should mention her._

I casually shift my sight around the area to see if the pretty brunette has come to visit, but I see no signs of her hiding in the flap of a tent opening or dashing through the trees nearby. _I think I'll just let it slide, anyway. I can't just betray her secret like that. Hopefully White doesn't catch on, but he seems pretty smart._

"I guess I'll have to think of something else," I speculate with a sharp breath. The warden jeers through the safety of the mask again, and I thank some higher power that he is out of my sight, lest I'd flick his nose in frustration by now.

"Yeah, 'cause we see how far your thinking is getting us. Why don't you go play with your miserable faceless friends? Or better yet, go bang your d*mned boy-toys. I'm tired of listening to you speak."

I bite the inside of my cheek, feeling much too exhausted to even bother quarrelling with the warden. "I'd rather not see anyone else right now. I'm sure the reports of my various scandals in the past few time-changes have been thrilling to the rest of the country, but I'm not too fond of them myself. It's like making a tiny snowball and then rolling it up until it transforms into a massive ball of ice and snow. I think my row with the Queen acted as a catalyst for the other mishaps I've had, and not that I want to be pessimistic, but I think things will only get worse if I go back now."

After I finish talking for the moment I wait for Black to start taking advantage of my calamities, but he doesn't even bother making fun of me again. _How odd. That's like the second time he's done that throughout this whole visitation. Is he sick or something?_

White lets out a little chuckle and unhurriedly walks onward. "If you so desire, we'll be happy to let you take refuge at the circus until you're ready to return to the other territories." I gasp and feel my brown eyes widening in shock and complete admiration for the man.

"Y-you'd—"

"What the h*ll?! Don't make that kind of decision without my permission!" Black retaliates contemptuously. Even as he says this, I take his words as a form of endearment.

I wipe some fake tears from my eyes and run up in front of White. He stops before bumping into me and watches as I perform a strange little happy dance. "You'd be willing to take me in for a while? You two are the best!" Unable to stop myself from a sudden onslaught of gratitude, I jump up and hug the tall man as tight as I can for a moment's time before dropping back down to the forest floor.

Some witnessing faceless gather at their tents' openings and gasp. A handful of kids clap and start to poke fun at the exchange, but I don't really care. White's lone claret eye dilates as he looks down at me again; this time I see no menacing gleam hidden beneath a gentle smile, nor do I feel any real sense of threat radiating from the man. All that remains is a pregnant silence and the promise of a blossoming appreciation for Wonderland's outcast.

Then again, I suppose one can say I just formulated yet another rumor for myself, but I bear no regrets this time around.

-;

The 'room' White lends me is sort of dim and actually just a smaller tent with a natural dirt floor and some furniture. There's a cute little bed with a metal frame and simple, white sheets. Next to it is a nightstand with virtually no items on it, save for a balloon-lamp.

Scattered about the clearing are pieces of unused or abandoned equipment such as an old costume rack and boxes of antique hula hoops, trapeze riggings, and deflated balancing balls. Across from the springy bed is a handsome old mirror with a gold lining and some cracks splitting the edges of the reflective glass. There's not much else to the makeshift room, but I immediately feel at home.

With Joker waiting for my reaction to the temporary room, I dash into the area and hop onto the bed; the springs retract and burst out and I nearly fall off. Laughing, I regain my posture and make my way back to the ringmaster.

"It's exactly what I needed. Thank you so much," I praise for the billionth time, though I'm sure by now both Jokers have grown a little tired of my commendations (Black more so than White).

"I'm sorry that we don't have any other rooms available, but I can see you're rather content for now. Was there anything else you needed?"

I shake my head and take off my bag, leaving it on the ground next to the entrance to the camp. White and I exit and make our way back outside. At this point, we've entered the actual circus grounds where other faceless and role holders come to see the show. Some crane machines and vendors are still open, yet it seems they're just in preparation for the next showing.

"So Black, do you and White share a room or something?"

He rapidly spits back, "No! For f*ck's sake, can you stop asking so many questions?"

"It depends. Can you hold a mature, decent conversation with me?" I look at the ringleader and tug on his sleeve. "Can I visit him at the Prison? Please?"

This time, both men put up a guarded front and ask concurrently, "Why would you want to visit the Prison?" Black unsurprisingly adds in something about how I'm nothing more than a "huge dumb*ss" with "no sense of reading the atmosphere". I actually begin to question my own conduct. _Why __**do**__ I want to visit the Prison? Even I can't think of a good reason. Am I just so grateful to the Jokers for sheltering me that I'm willing to pay __**Black **__a visit? I must be getting pretty desperate for companionship._

"I don't know why I want to visit," I say patiently, "I just do. I'm not scared to go there, if that's what you think. I've been to other jails and stuff before, back in my world. I promise I won't touch anything again, Black, I just want to give White a break. I think I've bothered him enough for this time period."

The mentioned man beams and raises his hands up in indifference to the suggestion. "You're never a bother, but I think it's a great idea!"

"What?!" Mr. Clown and I share a wicked yet playful grin at Black's apprehensive attitude.

"It's a good way for you two to get to know each other. Why don't you let her visit, Joker?"

"…" I cease my giggling as soon as Black stops muttering under his breath. I can't describe it properly, but something in that moment passes over the three of us.

Some unspoken dialogue bounces back between both redheads and they hold this private, unheard discussion for a few seconds longer. I suddenly understand why others might find them a little devious, but the silent exchange doesn't worry me too much.

_I wonder if they can read each other's minds or something. I've heard some twins can do that… unless they're not twins. I should make an effort to ask them one of these time changes. _

"I'll be going now. Take _care_ of her, Joker," I jolt at the words, for I was lost in my own thoughts while they mentally exchanged theirs. The entente escapes White's lips as he utters his last words, but I'm transported to the Prison before I can address it.

Facing the same whirlwind of changing scenery as the last time I was shifted to the Prison, I close my eyes and wind up falling to the ground like a ragdoll. From his table, Black snorts and prods my head with the heel of his black boots.

"Are you going to stay like that all day or what?" I cough into the concrete ground before rolling over onto my back. As I stare up at the dangling lamp over us, I think about what to say in front of the warden.

"Uh… I know I've already said this a lot—"

"Then don't say it."

"—but I want to say thanks. I know all this might not seem like a big deal to you Jokers, but I'm actually sort of sensitive! I've never really had any nasty stories spreading about me, either, so it's all like a big wake-up call. The worst part is that I don't know how to stop it," I lift up my head and prop my upper body up by using my elbows as leverage.

Since I can't exactly see Black's face through the tabletop hovering above my head, I can only guess what sort of expression he might have. Nonetheless, he answers back to me without an ounce of sarcasm dripping from his husky voice. "Why are you telling me all of this?"

"I don't know? It's nice to have someone to talk to, don't you think?" I finally get off the ground and kneel by the table so I can face the aggressive man eye-to-eye. He pouts a bit and looks at me as if I were supposed to be some caged animal.

"Why do you have to bother me? I don't see why you couldn't have just slept or something, d*mmit. All you're going to be doing here is—"

We both jump in surprise as the sound of a metal jail cell opens and slams against the wall in one of the wings of the prison. Black hops to his feet and snarls as he swiftly moves his hand to hover over his infamous whip. Sprinting into action, he races down the hallway and goes to seek out the source of the clamor.

A little slower than the incredibly fit warden, I stand up and begin to jog after him. "Black, wait for me!" I cry as he begins to fade from sight. In front of him, I see the blurred figures of the shadowy bodies from the last visit. They also seem to be on the hunt for the sound, and I start to wonder if someone tried to escape while Black was busy.

_Whoops. Did I give an inmate the opportunity to bolt? I really do cause a lot of trouble…_ my lamenting train of thought is indecently interrupted by someone tripping me as I hustle my way down the narrow strip of the balcony to catch up with the prison guards.

Due to quick thinking, my face is spared any serious damage by the coverage it receives from my arms. I lift my head and see a small toy staring back at me as if it knew I would fall and make a fool of myself. I huff and push it aside, trying to get up, but a sharp sting inflicts itself upon the front side of my ankle where the prisoner tripped me.

"Ow!" My cry of pain does not go unheard as several onlookers start howling in cruel laughter. I draw my throbbing ankle to my chest to inspect the damage, and I immediately see a purple-ish bump beginning to swell around the bone. "Oh, great… just my luck. What did I ever do to you guys?" I drone on to the convicts. They laugh at me some more, so I just grab the railing and start to push myself onto my feet again. _I'm determined to not let this get to me. After all, they're just a bunch of hostile villains. _

In the time it took to recover from my new injury, the guards and Black have already gotten so far ahead of me that I can't even see where they might have gone to. I suspect they've already caught the escapee, but I feel compelled to follow after anyway.

"Psst!" I stop trudging for a minute to listen to a girlish whisper coming from the inside of a nearby cell.

"Hello?" I answer with my dull tone. I see a feminine looking finger beckon me from the dark corner of the cell to my immediate right, so I cautiously move closer. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Reese, it's me!" I blink and slip an arm through the icy cold bars. _Alice…? What's she doing here?_

The young woman tentatively sneaks to the front of the cubicle and sighs. I lower my voice so virtually nobody within the vicinity may hear our exchange. "You're sleeping again, right?"

"Yes. Don't ask me why I appeared in this cell—I tried to break out, and I got the gate open, but then I heard Black and his crew coming along so I shut the gate again and hid in the corner. I would never suspect that you were at the Jokers' realm! Why have you come here?"

_So she was the source of the noise. It's a good thing Black didn't see her huddled up in the corner, or this would have become a really ugly turn of events! _"I needed to get away from the rest of Wonderland for a while. Trust me, Alice; I'm not having a good time right now. I knew that the Jokers wouldn't judge me too harshly, so I came here looking for help… I believe I was right to do so, because White offered me a room."

Alice rolls her eyes and grabs my hand from her side of the bars. I wrap my fingers around hers and frown while she lectures me. "I can't tell you what you should and shouldn't do, but I think you need to be a little wiser when making decisions. Why are you avoiding the other role holders, exactly?"

I unwillingly explain to her the reasons for my escape to the circus, and she gives off a little giggle. "You don't really think the others will hate you for such silly mishaps, do you? You're their precious new friend!" My heart skips a beat, but not from her compliment. _You're wrong, Alice. That's the difference between you and I. It's as clear as night and day and yet you still don't see it._ "I think you should leave this place after you get some rest. First try apologizing to Vivaldi, and maybe everything else will fall into place."

"I'll do that, but don't expect me to leave here too quickly. My pride is still suffering, so I have to recover," I state lamely, feigning a smile. She returns the gesture and lets go of my hand. "How's my family doing?"

"Um… they're doing well. They've spent every day searching for you, but I don't know how long they're willing to keep it up. I don't want to say this, but I feel like you should know." She grasps a section of her dress and looks away in shame. "The police are saying you've disappeared for good. I don't really know the details of the case yet, but I hear they've started to lessen the amount of search parties."

I use the jail bars to ease my descent to the ground. Propping my injured ankle out in front of me, I tilt my head back and look up at the ceiling. "I see. I guess I've got to hurry up my efforts to get back, then. Nightmare and White have decided that the vial idea is a bit of a bust, so we're thinking of another way."

Alice forms her lips to a tight line and pledges to me that she'll think of a plan. "There's still so much we have yet to talk about, but I don't know when I'll be waking up." _Speaking of waking up… Hm. Oh, I should tell her!_

"Alice, I have to tell you something!" I twist my torso so that I'm facing her while still keeping my bruised leg along the ground. "You probably won't like it, but I told the Jokers about my ability to visit home when I'm asleep!" Her mouth opens like a bass out of water and I quickly try to assure her, "Don't worry, I haven't told them that you can do the same. White even said that me trying to return home through my dreams won't work, anyway, so I don't think he'll dwell on it too much."

Alice shivers and wraps her arms around her ribcage. "I-if you say so… Try to stay be more careful, Reese. Have you told anyone else about your ability?"

"No, but I do plan on telling Nightmare. He's helped me out a lot, so I think he deserves to know."

"I deserve to know _**what**_?" Alice and I freeze in absolute terror at the new, masculine voice that has entered the scene. Appearing in the dark depths of the jail cell with the blue-eyed beauty is the incubus himself, and it doesn't take a genius to see he is incredibly upset and astounded by Alice's presence.

"N-Nightma—"

"Alice. I see you've returned."

* * *

**AN:** I really thought about continuing on the act with these three hooligans, but we all like cliff-hangers, right?

- Lily: Thanks for the review! She was comparing them, but sadly he took it the wrong way. And thanks for the comment on Joey and Reese's friendship! I think she needed a stable friend that wasn't a role holder or very loyal to their boss (I.E. Five or Victoria).  
- Niiro: I knew it! Well I read about that in the JnKnA endings, but still, it's nice to confirm things. But it's still a little difficult for me to characterize the Jokers, so if I really messed up, don't hesitate to point it out. Thanks for the review!


	20. Get Out of Jail, Free

I press my face to the bars of the cell and start to yell at the recently arrived guest. "What are you doing here, and how did you get into the cell?"

He turns his unpleasant glower towards me and I paralyze with fear and a bit of self-loathing. I put up the barrier in my mind from time-turns previous and begin to seriously assess the situation Alice and I have been forced into. _I've never seen such a harsh gleam in his eye. I wonder how mad he is at me for not telling him about Alice, but what was I going to do? Betray the poor girl?_

My eyes roll to meet Alice's trembling figure in the darkness of her cell. _I __**could**__ have told on her. It's not like we've known each other for too long… why am I continuously getting myself into trouble for this girl that I barely know? Why do I feel this deep connection to her? I can hardly understand anything at the moment. All I know is Nightmare just came and now he knows Alice can visit Wonderland. What will he do? What if the Jokers find us here?_

The incubus saunters around the block until he stops before me and he flicks my forehead while bantering, "You're asleep."

"What? I am not asleep. Right, Alice?" Our mutual friend remains dreadfully mute, but I understand her reasoning. I send an apologetic look her way and then focus Nightmare's attention back to me. "Why do you think I'm asleep?"

Nightmare makes a 'tch' sound and points to my right. I turn my head and see the strip of balcony I just travelled on. "You tripped, remember? I guess neither of you realize it, but you fainted when you hit your head on the concrete." Alice and I lurch a bit in surprise and she suddenly finds the will to speak again.

"You hit your head? You should wake up and seek out a doctor, Reese. Other than that, you need to get up before Joker comes back!" I cross my arms and twist my injured leg a bit.

"But if I wake up, won't you two go away? Or maybe Alice will stay… unless you can visit her, since she's dreaming too," I advocate to Nightmare. He scratches his chin and looks to the girl in question, who is now looking away as though ashamed of finally being caught. "Er… perhaps I shouldn't have said that." I watch as they struggle to produce the proper greeting of a long reunion. "Look, I know I have a lot to explain, but Alice is right. We need to focus on what's happening right now and get everyone out before our ill-tempered warden returns."

Alice nods and lightly pushes herself off the ground using her palms. She then turns to Nightmare and reservedly tucks a strand of chestnut brown hair behind her tiny ears. "I'm sorry we had to meet again on such bizarre terms, but I must get going. Goodbye Reese, Nightmare." As she closes her eyes to transfer herself back to the estate in England, I take a deep breath and jiggle my right hand in the cool air.

"Sorry, hobo, but I'm going to have to speak with you on the matter at a later date. 'Cause right now, I've got a staff of jail keepers to outrun." Without even giving the perplexed man a chance to respond, I bring my elevated hand down on my ankle with great force and wake up near the doll I tripped before with a yelp.

My nerves around the damaged area become excited and send a shiver of pain down my side, but I neglect the discomfort for the moment. Down the strip I hear the heavy footsteps of a worn out boot clomping around, and I decide where to hide. The inmate that tripped me knocks against his bars and ridicules my limping.

"Tryin' to run from the Joker, are ya? Good luck with that, sweetheart!" I hold myself against the railing and look to him pleadingly.

"Can you give me something more useful, like a place to hide from Black?" He slings his dirt-encrusted arm over his knee and considers the offer. Finally he leans forward and his sewn up mouse head, which I assume is mandatory to wear for most of the inmates, hits the bars. The man jabs his thumb at the wall to his right (AKA my left).

"Assumin' the d*mned fool went straight down this corridor, you can keep on going straight until you hit an intersection. Turn right and then scurry on down the stairs. If you're lucky, the guards won't be at their posts."

I light up like a firecracker and crawl forward to tap his knee encouragingly. "Thank you so much! I'll be sure to be careful so this isn't in vain."

He waves me off and lies down in his cold cell, but not before muttering a quick apology for hurting me. I smile and dash off. I follow his exact instructions and pause before the predicted intersection. _Please don't be around the corner, Black…_ I plant myself against the brick wall and slowly poke my head around the corner. A few locks of hair fall over my shoulder and wrap around the corner, and I hope nobody is present.

Hearing virtually no indications of the guards being nearby, I round the bend and shuffle down the corridor. The man was right, because there's more toys strewn about that I first saw. Some are hanging from the ceiling while others are laid beside cell blocks. I look ahead and walk on to where I assume will be an exit.

-;

After what seemed like twenty minutes of doing nothing but trying to find a way to escape the prison—and nearly failing since eventually the shadowy guards had to return to their duties—I got out and somehow wound up back at the circus. It doesn't seem like I'm anywhere near the main attraction, which is good, considering I'm probably going to be hunted down by White after Black explains to him what happened.

I slip through the trees and think of how I'll apologize to Black, though I'm not sure he really deserves it. "He might just yell at me for not staying put when he told me to,"I tell myself.

I circle around the circus' exterior for a very long time and try to think about my next plan of action. Once more speaking to myself, I prepare a checklist. "Now I have several things I need to get done. My top priority is to find a way to get back home. Second, I need to eventually meet up with Nightmare and tell him what's going on before he goes around telling everyone what happened in the prison. I guess I'll just meet him in a dream, so I don't have to actually leave this place yet. After everything involving Nightmare and Alice is done and over with, I'll have to see the Queen and resolve everything that's happened so far. Oh, man, this is going to suck."

A little bird roaming in the treetops chirps and swoops down before me. It cocks its little head rapidly, but its black eye keeps in my direction. I stop pacing and bend down to talk with it appropriately. "I have to stop being a negative person, right bird? Oh, you're sort of cute. Too bad you can't talk. I could use some nonjudgmental company."

It hops over to my feet and pecks at the dirt between them. I take it as a sign of pity and whimper. "Hey bird, thanks but I think I can manage to feel bad for myself enough on my own. You're a good listener, though… hey, do you mind hearing this apology I made up a while ago?"

The bird just chirps and jumps back a few spaces and goes back to watching me. Knowing it is unable to answer and probably even understand what I'm saying, I pretend it agrees to my plea. To begin, I nod and clear my throat. My bird-friend stretches its wings a bit but doesn't leave.

"Imagine me walking up to the Queen and just collapsing onto my hands and knees like this," I demonstrate and fake a few sobs. "I start crying a bit to raise sympathy points and I just start spewing out an apology like I'm going to die tomorrow. So she'll listen and I'll beg for forgiveness for being so rash, blah blah blah, and she suddenly is feeling compassionate! Then she beckons me up to her throne and I kiss her hand or something to make sure she doesn't hate me. If things go well, she might agree to overlook the situation and she'll invite me to another tea party at sunset."

I lift my head and see the winged creature still present, though he's resorted to walking around the clearing before me. I frown and consider the worst, "But if things go horribly wrong, I think she'll want to cut off my head. Or she might banish me from Wonderland and I'll have to live by my own in some desolate wasteland. However, seeing as she's the Queen of Hearts, I think it's safe to say that she's more prone to cutting off people's heads—not that I'm really excited, but I'd prefer a quick death than having to live in solitude."

I stand back up and flex my arms a bit. "What do you think of that, bird? Do you think I have a chance?" It caws and starts hopping away. In desperation, I chase after it until the poor animal takes flight and disappears back into the trees.

I fall to my knees and raise my hands to the sky in despair, and in response the night arrives to Wonderland. "Even the animals think I'm hopeless. Why did this have to happen to me?" I shout to the air, knowing I'm a distance from the circus. But once I hear rustling in the bushes I stop groping the air and keep still, truly believing it will save me from being seen.

While staying as still as stone, I see the strangest, fuzziest creature stowing away through the thick undergrowth. I don't bother calling out to it, since the whole point of me staying still is to not be noticed, but then something expected happens.

"Look, it's our other sis!" I drop my hands to my sides immediately and stare dumfounded into the trees. A pair of handsome amber eyes glints in the darkness and I clench my hand into a fist to shake at the trio waiting just beyond the scrubs.

"What are you three doing here?" I call into the night. It's not that I'm entirely mad or even vaguely upset by their appearance; I'm sort of grateful to have ran into them, but that doesn't mean my confusion is dissolute. They come forward and act all merry-like to see me.

"We've been looking for you everywhere. Why do you keep on running off to the circus?" Boris is the first to come by me, and he kneels down to come even closer. Our breath comes out in puffs in the cooling night air and the twins run over with their axes slung behind their backs.

The malevolent boys form a half circle around me and I almost feel as though it looks like we're doing some shady business in the mid-section of the forest. I puff out in delight, "You were looking for me? I didn't know… I'm sorry I was in a rush, Boris. I was sort of upset before."

He purrs and swats the back of my head like a child would with a good friend. "You'll have to make up for it eventually, but for now let's just get you back to your room—"

"Wait, I can't go back now!" The twins groan and pummel at my tummy. It gurgles a bit and I pout; _I need to maintain a healthy eating habit from now on. No more snacking and junk… oh, who am I kidding? It's inevitable. Wait, Reese, stop getting off topic. This is probably how you get in so much trouble._

"What do you mean, sis? We came all this way to arrest you." Dee waves his axe around proudly and it shines in the moonlight. For once I admire its beauty, though I'm not fond of its purpose. He speaks on, "We were even prepared to break down anyone who tried to stop us from getting you back. Isn't that right, brother?"

"That's right!" Dum grabs my hands and tries to drag me back into the abyss of the Jokers' forest. I kick my feet against the ground in flagrant protest, but I find that the boy is incredibly strong. "Don't fight back, sis, we're helping you escape!"

A thought comes back to me and I look the red twin straight in the eyes, stimulating him. "I thought you two said before that I was your cousin. Make up your mind already." _I need some better way to buy myself some time. After a while they'll tire of getting me to leave._

Unbeknownst to me, the gang has already thought ahead and so after a few more minutes of me switching topics and successfully fending off their attempt to capture me, Boris stands up and cracks his knuckles. "I guess it can't be helped, then. You know what to do, boys."

I look to the twins in a mass of confusion and expect an answer, but they just set down their weapons and twitch their grubby little fingers. "Um…"

"1, 2, and… 3!" They pounce on me and I feel the wrath of their tickling urges against my sides. I squeal and wave my arms and legs about like a wild animal. My cries go nearly unheard as Boris smirks in that trademark Cheshire cat way and grabs my waist. I feel a bit of pressure along my abdomen as he hoists me up and throws me over his shoulder. I snuff at the boa being pressed into my face, but make almost no altercations.

"Have you stopped protesting already? That ruins the fun!" The cat scoffs at my dying cries.

I fall limp in his grasp and dryly force out, "Can it, cat. Just… hurry up and take me wherever you want to take me. I'm a little tired of my plans being ruined so often."

"I'm sure, kid. I'm sure."

-;

I am elated to announce that the demonic triad only took me to a cute little café just west of the Clover Tower—I was so worried that they'd planned to make me go and seek out the meddling incubus, but I should have figured that the twins especially would refuse to let anyone else see me. _After all, I remember them mentioned before in passing their dislike of everyone at the tower. Well, more like everyone that isn't themselves, Boris, or Alice._

We enter the restaurant at the unruly witching hour and I quickly haul my behind to a booth and crouch under the table. The charming bistro is dimly lit and not entirely filled to the brim, but there's enough faceless that I feel a bit discomfited.

The boys follow after and Boris laughs, settling his hand on his hip. "What are you doing now?"

I make sure nobody may see my face, since I'm still reminded of the rumors flying about, but my stomach growls with the wafting scent of the coffee and brewery. "I'm trying to save my face. I didn't even plan on leaving the circus, thank you very much—"

Boris actually sacrifices his beautiful boa to my commonplace cause and throws it over my head. A tiny badge pinned to it pokes my eye and I silently curse the Gods for giving me such awful luck with the simplest of things. I cough and rip the oversized, fuzzy scarf off, "What is this for, cat?"

He disregards my question entirely, as though I should know the answer, and the twins immediately demand the now-nearly bare cat to order them a dessert. "Get us vanilla ice cream cones!" They argue over whether or not they should get the confections themselves and then ask me what I'd like; I simply ask for a chocolate ice cream in a cake cone. That apparently gets them to shut up.

"You're really boring, you know."

"I know," I wrap the boa around the upper half of my body and unintentionally take in Boris' aromatic scent from it while he walks off. The boys turn to me in my half-dazed state and don't falter in their analytical gazes.

"Is the lady fond of that stupid cat?" I calmly shake my head and look up at the counter where Boris is taking orders. I look around and see I'm not the only one observing him; some faceless girls have their heads towards him and their hollow faces are marked with dusty-light blushes. _Come to think of it, I guess I've noticed a lot of the role holders are given those sorts of fond gazes. Do any of them have girlfriends or wives? Nobody really mentioned it before. _I turn towards the twins and return their same stare from before.

"Have you two dated anyone before?" For the very first time, and possibly the only time, in my visit to Wonderland, both Dee and Dum scrunch up their faces in embarrassment and fail to answer my innocent survey. As the cat returns with our ice creams, he takes heed of their reactions and asks what I did. "I was asking them if they've dated anyone before. What about you?" I receive nearly the same reaction from the older teen and I suddenly feel wily. "Oh, look at you three! This is so cute; I wish I would have recorded the whole transaction."

Taking a lick of my chocolate ice cream, I realize they've all effectively dodged my question. _I'll find out eventually, children, so you better be prepared next time._ Dum pouts like the child he is and leans so far over the narrow table that he's practically in my face. I take my ice cream and scoot back into my squishy seat. "What about you, sis?"

"I've never even entertained the thought. Besides," I blow coolly in his face, "I'm not exactly 'girlfriend material'." At this exact moment I turn to Boris and send him the best warning look I can muster; _you better not bring up anything involving Gowland or Joey, mangy cat—_

He remains hushed but throws a few smirks my merry way. I look away and polish off the top layer of my chocolate ice cream and begin to devour the cake cone. "All right, well now that I've got that awkward stuff out of the way, I'm just going to enjoy this moment we're all sharing before you lot decide to act all mean to me again."

Dee, who's been trying to convince Boris to let him eat his sweet treat (he even tried threatening his friend with decapitation, but it didn't really end well for the raven-haired kid), makes a face at me and asks, "What do you mean?"

I snuff at him and motion for him to drop the weapon before he pokes someone's eye out. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed…"

Even Boris chimes in with confusion: "Haven't noticed what? We've never been mean to you, right guys?" Of course the Bloody Twins agree and prompt for me to explain. I huddle in my seat and try to think of an example to use as evidence. _I'll just mention that time they came to see me after I passed out the first time we went to see White's show. They __**have **__to remember that incident!_

"All right, well do you guys recall how you behaved when I fainted in the forest and everyone came to the tower to see how I was doing?"

Boris looks to the ceiling and licks his lips as he goes into deep thought. "Was that when Vivaldi gave you that teddy bear?" I nod and pat my bag affectionately. I feel sort of bad, though, when the guys _once more_ look at me like I've lost my mind (which I may have, I don't know). "We weren't mean to you. We came to see if you were doing all right, didn't we?"

I curtly point out, "You guys weren't even saying anything. I then asked you to leave if you weren't going to do anything and you high-tailed it out of there!"

Dee and Dum look at each other guiltily. "Did we? I don't remember that happening, brother." Intrigued by this change of events, I fold my arms on the table and interrogate a bit.

"Wait, you guys really don't remember that happening? Okay… well think back to the time I first slept in my room at the park with—" I stop myself from saying Gowland to dispel another bout of rumors. "Um… j-just think back to then. You guys were acting weird then, too!" They shake their heads in unison and I slap my own.

I swiftly give them a controversial topic to discuss—whether guns or axes were better—and retreat to my innermost thoughts to immerse myself in the new information. _All right, so now I know that everyone else is totally unaware of their actions towards me when the liquid from my cracked vial drains. I don't know how important that might be, but I know that means I'll definitely have to watch my surroundings. If I'm around someone like Peter when he switches moods, I could be in for some trouble. On the __**other**__ hand, it feels like I've actually pushed past that whole fiasco with these three, so maybe the flaky attitude is only temporary until I __**really**__ improve my relations with people._

Without drawing much attention to myself I yawn and lean back in my seat with the boa pressing against my cheeks. _I know I take naps way too often but this is incredibly comfortable… a few minutes of sleep while they argue can't hurt, right? Besides, this way I can talk to Nightmare again and elaborate on what happened at the prison._

-;

I roll around the dream realm and patiently wait where I arrived for the incubus to appear. "Hello? Are you there?" I hear footsteps from behind and I eagerly turn, believing it to be the hobo-man I'm waiting for. "Hey there, Night—whoa, my bad. You're definitely not a male, nor are you that goofy incubus. Say Alice, is that you?"

The girl before me certainlybears Alice's face and figure, but somehow she also seems different. Her hair is longer and falls into soft curls around her shoulders, and now she has a cute magenta bonnet on wrapped around her head. Her outfit is really different from before; instead of the usual frilly blue dress, she's wearing a dress that's the same color of her bonnet, and a corresponding shawl is covering her shoulders.

Wordlessly, she smiles at me and I again compare her to Alice. "All right, so I was wrong about that too. Who are you?"

"I am Alice's sister," she speaks firmly. I squint and try to think back to when Alice first told me about her family. _I remember her sister's name… the one she was babysitting for… ah!_

I snap and turn my index finger towards the woman. "I know you! You must be Edith. I'm Reese, a friend of your sister's. I didn't think we'd actually meet, though. How did you come into my dream?"

The girl I think to be Edith laughs charmingly and laces her fingers together. "I'm sorry, but you've got the wrong girl. Edith is our younger sister."

"Then, you are…?"

"I give you my apologies for not saying so earlier, but my name is Lorina Liddell; I am Edith and Alice's older sister. I've been waiting to meet you, Reese. There's something I must speak with you about."

* * *

**AN:** This is funny considering I just made a new story, but I've decided to focus only on finishing this story before I continue anything else.


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